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Surrey, BC (PRWEB) June 23, 2011
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In an attempt to curb online piracy and fraudulent activity, the Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously approved changes to the PROTECT IP Act. According to Sen. Patrick Leahy's (D-Vt) website, this act is intended to prevent online threats to economic creativity and theft of intellectual property. Yet, even within the Senate the bill is not without opposition. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Or) feels the bill takes an "overreaching approach to policing the Internet" as the bill gives the government the power to have websites blocked from American Domain Name System (DNS) servers in addition to prohibiting credit card companies, advertising networks, and search engines from supporting sites identified as rogue.
The issue according to Senator Wyden is not with the intent of the legislation, but the approach. He says the COICA (the precursor to the PROTECT IP Act) employs a "bunker buster approach to a problem that could be solved with a strategic guided missile" and that this approach may "[inflict] collateral damage on the foundations of the Internet, [trample] free speech, [stifle] innovation and [give] license to foreign regimes to further censor the Internet for political and commercial purposes." And while the PROTECT IP Act addresses some of Senator Wyden's concerns about the COICA, he feels interference in the DNS continues to pose a significant threat.
Similarly, OnlinePharmaciesCanada.com and other legitimate online sources for safe and affordable drugs feel the PROTECT IP Act could very easily interfere with their ability to do business in the United States. This is an issue that could affect many American patients. According to organizations such as RxRights.org and the Canadian International Pharmacy Association (CIPA), Americans pay approximately double for the same prescriptions as other industrialized nations. As a result, these patients often turn to OnlinePharmaciesCanada.com and other reputable online pharmacies for affordable drugs. Unfortunately, the PROTECT IP Act would provide IP owners a "private right of action" which allows companies unfettered sweeping actions if they feel their IP rights are threatened. These actions could put reputable online pharmacies out of business without a day in court. Seemingly, this would allow large pharmaceutical companies a frightening amount of power.
As mentioned, the main purpose of the PROTECT IP Act is to prevent illegal downloading and other theft of intellectual property. However, as noted by RxRights.org, this act "contains specific language that targets all non-U.S. based online pharmacies – classifying them as a risk to public health." Yet, OnlinePharmaciesCanada.com is a CIPA
certified online pharmacy regulated to the
same or higher standards as American pharmacies. In fact, RxRights.org
recognizes that pharmacies in Canada and other industrialized countries have excellent systems for regulating pharmaceuticals – comparable to our FDA. Some systems are arguably safer than our own." The site goes on to criticize the PROTECT IP Act as "over a million Americans currently import their drugs from Canada and other international pharmacies" and that the "PROTECT IP Act won't protect these people. It will directly - and possibly irreparably - jeopardize their health."
As for OnlinePharmaciesCanada.com and other reputable sources for mail order medications, the PROTECT IP Act poses a significant risk to their ability to conduct business. Subsequently, OnlinePharmaciesCanada.com encourages American patients who buy drugs from international pharmacies to visit RxRights.org and "Take Action Now" to secure your right to affordable medications.
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