"Leading Cyber-Pirates of the World"

The Wall Street Journal runs an op-ed by Paul McManus, president and CEO of The Leading Hotels of the World, Ltd. According to McManus, potential customers of the The Leading Hotels have been hijacked by malware on their computers. He proposes this solution:

What's needed is a set of international laws protecting business and consumers against Internet fraud plus a global squad of cyber crime-busters to enforce them. The U.S. has specific computer fraud laws and the FBI takes "thousands of complaints" annually through its Internet Crime Complaint Center (www.ic3.gov). But perpetrators who zero in on businesses like mine often work in countries with no laws protecting Web users and lax or little cooperation with U.S. or other foreign law-enforcement agencies.

Collaboration is the only realistic solution for the private sector to protect brands from online pirates. The global Internet community is already working together through ICANN . . . ICANN is a natural for stepping into the computer crime arena. It has respect, international treaties, a global presence and a solid organizational structure. But don't expect ICANN to wage war all by itself. Those of us in the business world who can't rely on the government for brand protection have to be partners in long battle.