Search Ad Keyword Lawsuit, Now Over Privacy

We have covered many of the search ad keyword lawsuits aimed between competitors or directly at the search engines in the past. Nowadays, it seems like a new suit around this topic is filed weekly. Typically these suits go after trademark violations and the like, but a new suit is focusing on a privacy legality.

Suit over search-engine keywords tries new angle from the Associated Press reports Habush Habush & Rottier is suing Cannon & Dunphy for buying their name on Google and Bing. Habush Habush & Rottier is taking the privacy angle, where in Wisconsin there is the “right-to-privacy statute” that prohibits the use of any living person’s name for advertising purposes without the person’s consent. Yes, both firms are based in Wisconsin.

Robert Habush, the president of Habush Habush & Rottier said:

We believe this is deceptive, confusing and misleading. If Bill Cannon thinks this is a correct way to do business he needs to have his moral compass taken to the repair shop.

Cannon told the AP:

This is equally available to Habush if he weren’t so cheap to bid on his own name.

I am no legal expert, but this case does seem unique from all the other legal cases on search ads.