Roche wins rights to two Tamiflu Web sites

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Swiss drugmaker Roche won the rights on Thursday to two Tamiflu-related Web sites in the 32nd dispute resolved by the United Nations on Web sites related to the flu drug, which may be used to treat avian influenza.

An administrative panel of the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), a Geneva-based U.N. agency, ruled that the Web sites and were being used inappropriately by a Panama-based firm seeking to attract browsers to the sites through use of the drug name.

It said the Tamiflu-branded Web sites, registered by Intermediate In Business, diverted Internet users to links offering products including bird flu masks and a book called “How to protect yourself and your loved ones from bird flu”. 

WIPO said the case followed several other disputes over Web sites carrying the Tamiflu trademark through domain names such as ordertamiflunow.com and tamiflu.net.

“Against the background of international concern about an avian flu pandemic, the domain name registrants were found to have capitalised on the Tamiflu trademark by advertising products competing with the complainants’ medication,” the agency said.

A total of 34 domain name cases related to Tamiflu have been filed with WIPO, of which 32 have been resolved, it said, adding other pharmaceutical firms have in the past filed disputes over Web sites using trademarks such as Rogaine, Tylenol and Viagra.

Under WIPO’s fast-track procedure, ownership of a domain name is transferred within 10 days unless the losing party in the dispute launches a court case challenging the decision. 

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