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MattyBong
Infected Mushroom



Registered: 03/14/10
Posts: 426
Loc: B. Columbia, Canada
Last seen: 10 years, 10 months
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Google pays $500M fine for Canadian drug ads
#14971812 - 08/24/11 04:30 PM (12 years, 6 months ago) |
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Google Inc. has agreed to pay $500 million to settle a federal investigation into the Internet search leader's distribution of online ads from Canadian pharmacies that were illegally selling prescription and non-prescription drugs to American consumers. The search giant will forefeit that amount for allowing Canadian drug sellers to use the company's AdWords service to market to U.S. buyers. The sale of prescription drugs across the U.S. border is often covered under the Controlled Substances Act, and Google was aware of that fact since as far back as 2003, a release from the U.S. Department of Justice says. "The Department of Justice will continue to hold accountable companies who in their bid for profits violate federal law and put at risk the health and safety of American consumers," Deputy Attorney General James M. Cole said. "This settlement ensures that Google will reform its improper advertising practices with regard to these pharmacies while paying one of the largest financial forfeiture penalties in history." A selection of prescription drugs, including Allegra, Zyprexa, Levitra, Cialis and Lipitor are shown. Google has agreed to pay a $500 million fine for helping the illegal sale of Canadian drugs to users buyers.Michael Conroy/Associated Press The department says Google provided customer support to some of these Canadian online pharmacy advertisers to assist them in placing and optimizing their AdWords advertisements, and in improving the effectiveness of their websites. The settlement means Google will not face criminal prosecution for accusations it improperly profited from ads promoting Canadian pharmacies that illegally imported drugs into the United States. "We banned the advertising of prescription drugs in the U.S. by Canadian pharmacies some time ago," a statement from the company said. "However, it's obvious with hindsight that we shouldn't have allowed these ads on Google in the first place." The company declined further comment. Google shares up slightly, trading at about $519. Google acknowledged holes in its ad system in a federal lawsuit filed last fall against dozens of "rogue" online pharmacies that were finding ways to place ads for drugs despite the company's efforts to prevent abuses. Rhode Island has aggressively pursued doping investigations in recent years. The investigation against Google began after a separate multimillion-dollar financial fraud, the main target of which fled to Mexico. While a fugitive, he began to advertise illegal drug sales through Google's AdWords program. After being apprehended in Mexico and returned to the United States, he co-operated with law enforcement and provided officials with precise details of how to get around the system.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/story/2011/08/24/google-pharmacy.html
-------------------- ---Man's mind, once stretched by a new idea, never regains its original dimensions--- --- A question that sometimes drives me hazy: am I or are the others crazy?--- ---This sentence is false--- ---You met me at a very strange time in my life--- ---Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one---
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mikehauncho


Registered: 06/17/09
Posts: 567
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Re: Google pays $500M fine for Canadian drug ads *DELETED* [Re: MattyBong]
#14972160 - 08/24/11 05:31 PM (12 years, 6 months ago) |
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Post deleted by mikehaunchoReason for deletion: Law Enforcement
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shivas.wisdom
בּ



Registered: 02/19/09
Posts: 13,467
Loc: Turtle Island
Last seen: 2 hours, 51 minutes
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Re: Google pays $500M fine for Canadian drug ads [Re: mikehauncho]
#14972205 - 08/24/11 05:41 PM (12 years, 6 months ago) |
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I think you misunderstood the article.
The sale of Canadian pharmaceuticals is illegal in the US. Officially because the regulations provided by the FDA are not exactly the same as regulations provided by the CFIA (Canadian Food Inspection Agency), which could lead to drugs unregulated by the FDA, but regulated by the CFIA, being sold to Americans. Unofficially? Because oftentimes the same drugs will be cheaper up in Canada, which means someone is making more money when these drugs are sold in the US, not in Canada, and wants to keep it that way.
Google was benefiting from, and allowing, companies clearly advertising an illegal product (Canadian pharmaceuticals to Americans). It involved Googles awareness, and this was even admitted by them. All seems fair to me.
*disclaimer* I do not necessarily agree with Canadian pharmaceuticals being illegal in the US though.
Edited by shivas.wisdom (08/24/11 05:45 PM)
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Konyap

Registered: 06/30/07
Posts: 33,945
Loc: Planet Piss
Last seen: 4 years, 3 months
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Re: Google pays $500M fine for Canadian drug ads [Re: shivas.wisdom]
#14972934 - 08/24/11 07:52 PM (12 years, 6 months ago) |
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its about money
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Sandoz
Ridin that wave


Registered: 08/18/08
Posts: 550
Last seen: 1 year, 10 months
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Re: Google pays $500M fine for Canadian drug ads [Re: Konyap]
#14972962 - 08/24/11 07:58 PM (12 years, 6 months ago) |
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Wonder where that dirty 500 mill is going to end up...
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Dickhead
2 Times


Registered: 01/24/05
Posts: 28,769
Loc: groin
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Re: Google pays $500M fine for Canadian drug ads [Re: Konyap]
#14973078 - 08/24/11 08:21 PM (12 years, 6 months ago) |
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Well, yeah. "500M"
-------------------- Multiplied
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sporophight
Stranger


Registered: 06/02/10
Posts: 252
Loc: Canada
Last seen: 6 years, 4 months
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Re: Google pays $500M fine for Canadian drug ads [Re: Sandoz]
#14973611 - 08/24/11 09:56 PM (12 years, 6 months ago) |
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Quote:
Sandoz said: Wonder where that dirty 500 mill is going to end up...
The mexican drug war, of course!
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Rabid Jelly Bean
Stranger



Registered: 01/25/10
Posts: 411
Loc: TX
Last seen: 10 years, 10 months
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Re: Google pays $500M fine for Canadian drug ads [Re: sporophight]
#14975339 - 08/25/11 08:45 AM (12 years, 6 months ago) |
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Lol my mom still buys prescription medicine from Canada. It's cheaper so why not? The medicine is real. If it wasn't, she would go into withdraw.
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durian_2008
Cornucopian Eating an Elephant



Registered: 04/02/08
Posts: 17,267
Loc: Raccoon City
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Re: Google pays $500M fine for Canadian drug ads [Re: Rabid Jelly Bean]
#14975576 - 08/25/11 09:51 AM (12 years, 6 months ago) |
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Like other, value-added commodities, pharms are allegedly manufactured in third world countries, where corners are cut, to meet quotas.
Naturopaths describe a high number of deaths, caused by pharms being taken as prescribed.
So, I find it comical for a bureaucrat to claim that he's moderating my behavior to keep me safe.
IMHO, this is more like an infringement of intellectual property law.
I think it was possible for needy people to find these services without being spammed, but their nature is shrouded in secrecy.
It seems that either: -- This is the online equivalent of the back alley stereo salesman, with pics of white lab coats for show. -- Drug resellers are part of the medical establishment, making foreign buyers a drain on Canada's socialist medical system.
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