Changes in Google’s stand on trademarked keywords and how it will affect you

May 26, 2009
Intellectual Property News and Interesting Facts

Google has changed its policy on trademarked keywords and the most important aspects are as follows:

• A trademarked term or word can be used in advertising copy regarding Adwords.
• Any trademarked term or word can be used as a keyword.
• Companies now have more control over their trademarked terms regarding Adwords as they can now limit use of their trademarks in ads to only be displayed by specific companies.
• A company can ask Goole to not allow other companies or users to use their trademarked word or term in their ad copy. Although it will no longer be displayed in the ad copy it can however, still be used as a keyword.

It is important both for an Adwords advertising and an Adsense website owner to take note of the above conditions for trademarked terms used as keywords in ad copy.