Google Trademark Suit Dropped
In what Google is declaring as a victory, American Blind & Wallpaper Factory
has
dropped
a suit initially filed in 2003. American Blind claimed that Google let rivals
buy ads based on keywords when someone does a search for the company.
Google has been involved in similar suits, some of which it has successfully
defended while others it has lost. In the final settlement agreement signed
last Friday, both American Blind and Google agreed to dismiss the litigation,
with neither side admitting any wrongdoing or accepting any liability for others'
expenses.
Google can continue its lucrative policy of selling ads based on keywords,
including those in trademarks. This is another line in the sand drawn in the
Wild West of online advertising.
Where do you think the lines should be drawn? What constitutes unfair competition?
Should search engines like Google be allowed to hone in on search terms for
fun and profit? Search me out at [email protected].
Posted by Lafe Low on September 05, 2007