Overview

This article by Hammonds examines the implications of Google’s recent announcement of two further relaxations of its trade mark usage policies, which will both take effect from 14 September 2010.

Firstly, Google is extending its complaints policy from the UK and Ireland to the rest of continental Europe. In short Google will now ignore complaints in continental Europe that Google advertisers are using third party trade marks as Google adwords, unless the sponsored links thrown up thereby are confusing.

Secondly, Google has extended from the US to the UK, Canada and Ireland its policy of allowing resellers of branded goods and suppliers of component, replacement or compatible parts for them, to use third party trade marks in the text of links to their sites.

To read on click ‘View Briefing’