Philippines IP office issues warning over fake drugs
The Philippines’ deputy IP chief has warned e-commerce platforms that they could be made liable for the sale of counterfeit goods on their sites under new legislation, amid fears over the spread of counterfeit pharmaceuticals.
In an interview on the ANC News television network last Friday, October 11, deputy director general of the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines Ted Pascua said that the government was drafting new legislation to crack down on the spread of online counterfeits.
In particular, the trade department is looking at the possibility of making e-commerce sites based outside the country liable as “accessories to the crime,'' Pascua said.
Platforms such as Facebook have already been forewarned about the availability of counterfeit drugs on their platforms, he added.
He said that the IP office was working with e-commerce sites to improve their own IP protection policies in order to ensure that “they can police themselves”.
Pascua encouraged members of the public to be vigilant against fake pharmaceuticals.
“If you buy counterfeit bags and wearables and the like, your health isn’t necessarily affected,” he said, warning that there was a significant public health risk posed by counterfeit drugs and supplement products.
Describing e-commerce sites as an “open door for counterfeits,” Pascua said his office was working closely with the country’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to prevent the spread of fake drugs.
Earlier this year, LSIPR reported that Philippine authorities were targeting the manufacturers of counterfeit rabies vaccines which copied French pharmaceutical company Sanofi’s branding.
The FDA ordered the closure of wholesaler Geramil Trading in relation to the counterfeit vaccines.
