Volume II

Issue : 18: September 23, 2004

• New U.S. Action and German Court Decision on Googles Adwords Program
• Supermarket Chain Faces Privacy Lawsuit
• Scottish Online Defamation Suit Settles
• Google Launches Controversial Hong Kong Website
• U.S. Federal Bill Would Prohibit Double State Taxation of Telecommuter Income
• Release of Revised Draft Regulations to Ontario Consumer Protection Act, 2002
• Ontario Racing Commission Challenges Canadian Gambling Site
• Pennsylvania Internet Child Pornography Act Struck Down

Home > Volume II > Issue 18: September 23, 2004 > New U.S. Action and German Court Decision on Googles Adwords Program

New U.S. Action and German Court Decision on Googles Adwords Program

Google's ADWords program which permits companies to purchase keyword triggers including the trade-marks of competitors is being tested in multiple fronts. A German state court has rejected German company Metaspinner Media's lawsuit against Google Deutschland. Metaspinner alleged Google's practice of selling ads to rival firms triggered by searches for Metaspinner's trade-mark "Preispiraten" ("Price Pirate") software unfairly allowed others to take advantage of Metaspinner's trade-mark. Neither Metaspinner's lawyers nor Google Deutschland have commented on the ruling.

In the U.S., computer services firm Rescuecom launched a lawsuit against Google alleging Google's use of Rescucom's trade-mark as a keyword for triggering competitor's ads violates U.S. trade-mark law. Specifically, Rescuecom alleges that Google allows and advises other companies to purchase ads linked to the search term "Rescuecom". According to the suit, Rescuecom became aware that Google was advising its competitors to link ads to its mark while engaging in its previous practice of issuing cease and desist letters directly to competitors running Google ads linked to "Rescuecom".

For more details see:

http://googlegermanydecision.notlong.com/

http://www.clickz.com/news/article.php/3410161