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Viagra maker files legal action against Viagra spammers
4 August, 2004
Pfizer, the maker of the anti-impotence drug Viagra, has announced that the company is taking legal action against dozens of online "pharmacies" which sell counterfeit and other generic versions of its drug. Pfizer is suing many of these websites, as well as filing dozens of legal proceedings to seize the domain names of illegal sites selling fake Viagra. The company also said it is also working with numerous government and legal organizations to prosecute counterfeiters and to identify and seize illegal products.
Sellers of “generic” Viagra have been the target of criminal probes before, because no generic version of Viagra (sildenafil citrate) has been approved by the FDA in the US, so it’s a straight issue of fraud. But Pfizer said it is taking the legal actions – and publicizing them -- because its own surveys found that many consumers blame Pfizer for the Viagra spam that pours into their e-mail boxes! The company said that more than a quarter of men believed erroneously that Pfizer is the source of this spam.
"Pfizer is taking these steps to help raise consumer awareness about the problems posed by illegitimate online 'pharmacies' and to directly address the source of these problems," said Jeff Kindler, Executive Vice President and General Counsel at Pfizer. "We want it clearly known that Pfizer does not send or support the sending of spam, which comes from websites that illegally use the Viagra name to promote and market unapproved ED products that may contain ingredients that either do not provide optimal efficacy or may pose health risks."
Pfizer filed lawsuits against the following 5 entities or individuals:. ORIONTECH, (http://www.viagraxonline.com/); YOU SAVE RX, (http://www.yousaverx.com/); CNR INTERNATIONAL, INC., (http://www.qualitygenerics.com/); CHARLES WILLIAM NARON, (http://www.myrxforless.com/)l and DOUG HOLLENBECK (http://www.genericviagrapills.com/).
More than two dozen Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP) actions were filed to seize domain names using Pfizer's Viagra trademark in an unauthorized manner. Each alleges that the respondents are using the Viagra mark in bad faith to sell product that has not been approved by the U.S. FDA.
According to a recent national survey of 676 men aged 35+, 20 percent of men who purchase ED medications buy them online, and two-thirds of them don't check to see if the website they are purchasing from is legitimate. Only 38 percent of all men surveyed believe it is essential to have a doctor's prescription in order to purchase Viagra.
Security software vendor Sophos said that it welcomed Pfizer’s tactics in the fight against spammers, and hoped it would encourage other companies whose brands are being hijacked.
"Frankly, Pfizer is sick of spammers stealing its brand in order to sell whatever drug is hot at the moment,” said Chris Kraft, senior security analyst at Sophos. “Pfizer's actions will help set a precedence for other manufacturers."
"Everyone, at some time, has received Viagra spam. Women are baffled as to why they would be considered the target market," said Kraft said. source :-http://www.integratedmar.com/ | 
