[governance] Global Pharma Calls On ICANN To Act Against Online Counterfeits

[Riaz K Tayob]

[After Global Pharma got WHO to do some work on this, then poor 
countries realised that that this was an industry driven process, they 
protested at WHO, and WHO only relented after getting a number of 
thwacks... I guess ICANN will more amenable given its lack of legitimacy 
and "can do" spirit...after all it was ICANN et al that contributed to 
make domain names equivalent to trademarks... for that there is no 
problem going to WIPO... an UN body... perhaps cos there is money 
there... not to be crass of course... ]


    Global Pharma Calls On ICANN To Act Against Online Counterfeits

Published on 28 July 2012 @ 2:06 pm

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Intellectual Property Watch

The international pharmaceutical industry this week released a policy 
statement targeting counterfeit medicines on the internet. Among the 
recommendations was for the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and 
Numbers (ICANN) to join the fight.

At the same time, the Center for Safe Internet Pharmacies was launched 
in the United States, aimed at taking down illegal internet pharmacies. 
More information about the CSIP is available here 
<http://www.safemedsonline.org/>.

Four research-based industry associations joined together to issue a 
joint policy statement 
<http://www.efpia.eu/position-papers/internet-sales-and-access-safe-medicines> 
on counterfeits online.

The groups are the International Federation of Pharmaceutical 
Manufacturers & Associations (IFPMA), Pharmaceutical Research and 
Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), European Federation of Pharmaceutical 
Industries and Associations (EFPIA), and Japanese Pharmaceutical 
Manufacturers Association (JPMA).

The groups showed support for governments, law enforcement, the private 
sector and any others, working to stop counterfeit medicines.

And they said, "We call upon [ICANN], which oversees the assignment of 
generic top level domains and accredits domain registrars, to take 
appropriate actions and ensure accountability measures in order to 
protect Internet users from illegitimate online sites that are engaged 
in the illicit sale of prescription medicines."

Up till now, ICANN has been explicitly considered to be a technical 
oversight body with no policy authority.

But the stakes are high, industry says. "Everybody is at risk of 
counterfeiting," said Eduardo Pisani, IFPMA director general. 
"Counterfeiting is a crime against patients and poses a public health 
risk that can lead to treatment resistance, extended illness, disability 
and even death."

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