Google initiates trademark bloodbath in the UK

[Whois-Search]

We’re writing to inform you that we’re changing our trademark complaint procedure in the UK and Ireland. This change may affect how we handle the trademark complaint you currently have on file with Google.

If you’ve submitted a complaint letter requesting that we prevent advertisers from using certain trademark terms anywhere in their ad text, we will continue our efforts to support your request. However, from May 5, 2008, our trademark complaint investigations will no longer result in Google monitoring or restricting keywords for ads served to users in the UK and Ireland. This will bring our procedure in line with the approach taken in the US and Canada. Complaints received on or after today will be processed under our revised procedure.

You do not need to file your trademark complaint with us again unless you would like to amend it based on the new guidelines. For more detailed information regarding our trademark complaint procedure, we invite you to review our revised complaint procedure, posted online at http://www.google.co.uk/tm_complaint.html.

To learn more about this trademark policy revision, please visit http://adwords.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=92877&hl=en_US.

Sincerely,

Advertising Legal Support Team

http://www.ppcblog.co.uk/google-adwords/google-changing-trademark-policy-in-the-uk/

http://news.ebrandz.com/content/view/1825/548/

http://www.multilingual-search.com/google-initiates-trademark-bloodbath-in-the-uk/05/04/2008

Meanwhile....

http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/pos...-could-put-the-squeeze-on-google-adwords.html

http://www.sedo.com/links/showhtml.php3?Id=1698&tracked=&partnerid=&language=jp

 

[deconstruction]

i have run into problems with people bidding on search terms which breach a trademark of mine. Most of the time a few emails to the party will get it sorted (they tend to blame it on affiliates)

However if they didn't then you would expect Google to do something about it.

 

[Beasty]

This High Court case is the reason for this change - it is all to do with what amounts to use in respect of a trademark. If you are not using (or intending to use) a mark in a case like this, you cannot be infringing it.

http://www.bailii.org/cgi-bin/marku...61.html&query=wilson+and+yahoo&method=boolean

 

[TinkyWinky]

This is going to open a pandora's box....

I just read on ppcblog :

"... good news for naughty affiliates ..."

I don't think so.

Affiliate programmes will come with their own "no bid" policy and as far as I can see, the network that champions this will get all the smaller companies to sign up to them... a good business opportunity for a smaller network that has no USP currently