Legal: Trademarks
Keyword infringement: Edible Arrangements files $209M trademark suit against Google
While use of trademarked keywords has been allowed by courts, this case may be more complicated than it seems on the surface....
Initial Interest Confusion rears its ugly head once more in trademark infringement case
Columnist Chris Silver Smith details recent trademark infringement cases in which site search results pages caused legal issues for retailer...
Mississippi attorney general’s “conspiracy to censor the internet” back on as appeals court rules against Google
Google had alleged the Motion Picture Association of America was using Mississippi attorney general's action as a tool of its private interests...
Brand bidding & PPC optimization: enforcement options (Part 6 of 8)
In part 6 of her multi-part series on brand bidding for paid search, columnist Lori Weiman breaks down the legal issues surrounding trademark...
Why You Don’t See “World Cup” Ads On Google
Google is on the cusp of a search volume siege from soccer (aka football) fans as the 2014 FIFA World Cup™ nears. A look at Google Trends...
Despite Google’s Efforts, Counterfeiters Are Commonplace On AdWords
Should a company that includes the phrase “don’t be evil” in their code of conduct be expected to block counterfeiters from...
Interflora Wins Five-Year Battle Over Google AdWords Trademark Infringement
The High Court of England and Wales ended a five year legal battle between Marks & Spencer and Interflora yesterday. The court ruled in...
Google Gets Trademark Reprieve In Sweden Over Definition Of ‘Ungoogleable’
“Ungoogleable” won’t become an official word in Sweden … at least, not this year. As Sveriges Radio reports (found via...
Google Streamlines AdWords Rules On Using Trademark Keywords
Google has announced an update to its AdWords trademark policy that streamlines the rules on using third-party trademark keywords in campaigns....
Wisconsin State Court OKs Bidding On Trademarks In Paid Search
A Wisconsin appeals court this week affirmed a circuit court’s ruling that it’s OK to use trademarks as keywords to trigger the...
Google Transparency Report Now Showing False Takedown Requests
TorrentFreak reports that Google updated their transparency report to now show the number and specific details on the false takedown requests...
Google And Rosetta Stone Agree To Settle Suit Over Trademarked Keywords
One of Google’s most well-funded and tenacious opponents in the legal arena, Rosetta Stone, has agreed to settle its trademark suit...
The Complete Guide To Bidding On Competitor Brand Names & Trademarked Terms
It's been long known in the industry that brand term keywords garner a much higher click-through-rate. As a result, marketers often start by...
Question Of Whether It’s Legal To Use Trademarks As Keywords Revived On Appeal in Rosetta Stone/Google Case
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit today revived part of Rosetta Stone’s trademark lawsuit against Google, meaning the...
Domain Seizures, De-Indexing And Censorship: Nevada Judge Dramatically Exceeds Limits Of His Authority
There’s a multi-pronged assault on the internet going on now. It comes from over-zealous legislators, the US executive branch and...
In Interflora Case, EU OKs Bidding On Trademarks With Some Restrictions
The European Union’s Court of Justice has ruled in the long-running Interflora case against Marks & Spencer, which involves bidding on...
Australian Watchdog Loses Case Against Google Over Deceptive Ads
ACCC loses misleading ads case against Google via the Sydney Morning Herald reports the ACCC, Australian Competition and Consumers Commission,...
Google Settles & Wins Lawsuit Against ‘Google Cash’ Scammers
Google has won a $1.6 million settlement against five defendants that it sued in December 2009 over the use of Google’s name in what the...
European Advocate General Finds Against Trademark Bidding in Interflora Case
The European Advocate General is recommending that the Court of Justice of the European Union rule against retailer Marks & Spencer for...
SEO Held Liable, Fined In Counterfeiting Case
A website builder and SEO firm has been held liable in federal court in a case in which it was accused of enabling the sale of counterfeit...