Pfizer Files Suit Against Viagra Spammers

edb points to the Wall Street Journal story (carried at SmartMoney among other places) which begins "Pfizer Inc. (PFE) launched a broad legal offensive and Internet advertising campaign to stanch online commerce in bogus Viagra. The drug maker filed suit in federal district court for the Southern District of New York in Manhattan on Monday against three companies and two individuals operating Web sites that allegedly sell fake versions of the popular impotence drug."

all I have to say is...

[boisepunk]

*clap*

Re:all I have to say is...

[ForestGrump]

Actually, don't clap yet. Pfizer isn't suing because they were spammers, they are suing cuz they were fraudsters.

Pfizer is taking the stance that it is OK to spam and move their product onto the market. However,it is not OK to spam with the name V1GRA when you are not selling the real thing.

Grump.

Re:all I have to say is...

[MarsDefenseMinister]

I am very confused. You are implying that there is a difference between spammers and fraudsters. If this is true, then my head will asplode.

Re:all I have to say is...

[ForestGrump]

Well, I believe spammers(in general) are mostly people who lack common decency, and should be taken into a grassy field and shot.

Now, there are spammers who sink to an even lower level. They send out spam, but the junk they sell is either stolen or fake. These are fraudsters. I believe fraudsters should be given a slow painful death...such as being a "prison bitch".

Grump

Re:all I have to say is...

[gl4ss]

* The suits allege trademark infringement, unfair competition, deceptive trade practices and cyberpiracy under federal and New York laws. In addition, Pfizer sought to seize two dozen Internet domain names that the company says make unauthorized use of the Viagra trademark.*

they're not actively taking a stance that spamming is good, they just don't care about that part(about _how_ the illeagal marketing of illeagal products was done)..

what they do care is that these fraudsters are using their product name to sell pirate products to unsuspecting customers.

I don't think the mentioned online advertising campaign to raise awareness of dangers of fake viagra is going to be spam based, if that's what you were thinking(they mention using google for advertising as one).

Re:all I have to say is...

[Andy Mitchell]

While I do take your point onboard that Pfizer are not on an anti-spam crusade this is not so bad, they are starting to take seriously what is sent in spams when it damages them.

It doesn't really matter how spammers are pursued just so long as they find pushing there dubious wares stops being an easy ride. Capone was never convicted for any of his "alleged activities as a gangster", he went down for failing to pay tax on his obviously vast earnings.

Spammers are, in many cases, nothing but a bunch of cri

Re:all I have to say is...

[kv9]

you know youve been reading too much slashdot when youre spelling it karma sutra.

Re:all I have to say is...

[PhilHibbs]

So who have you sued for spamming? Have any other corporations that are entirely unrelated to the internet sued spammers? They have a trademark to protect, so criticizing them for protecting it instead of indulging in activities that are entirely unrelated to their business is ludicrous.

but..

[schnits0r]

I don't buy Viagra, I buy a "V1agr4 Subst1tu7e"!

Yey for Pfizer!

[Maxite]

I really don't care why Pfizer is pressing suits against the "Viagra spammers." You need a prescription for Viagra, plus using a trademarked name to try and sell people your product which is not the original, is illegal. I hope that the people who are sending out those spams are caught.