BusinessWeek Covers RESCUECOM Appeal Victory over Google

Court of Appeals Rules in Favor of RESCUECOM

BusinessWeek
By Michael Orey
Internet April 15, 2009:


Google's Trademark Tussle

Google suffered a setback in a legal battle over how it auctions search terms. How would eventual defeat affect the Web search market?

It's vexing for a company to see its brand name disparaged. It can be downright infuriating when that brand is used to drum up business for a rival.

So some companies are up in arms over a practice by Google that lets advertisers use a competing brand name in efforts to attract customers. Google's opponents won a legal victory recently that could presage limits on how Internet companies use brand names to sell search-related ads.

On Apr. 3, the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit reinstated a suit filed by computer repair firm Rescuecom, which alleges that Google's practice of letting competitors bid for each others' names as search keywords infringes its trademark. Consumers who searched the term "Rescuecom" have been shown ads of rival computer repair companies.

The setback for Google (GOOG) highlights simmering questions about the rules of the road for advertisements linked to Internet search. At issue is the practice of letting marketers bid on and purchase the right to use trademarked names?even when those brands belong to a competitor?as part of online ad campaigns. Yahoo! (YHOO) is embroiled in similar litigation.

Google Reviews

Harmony Wentz
Harmony Wentz
a month ago
Roy was very helpful and assisted me in setting up my computer quickly!
...Roy was very helpful and assisted me in setting up my computer quickly! less
americasministorage
americasministorage
a month ago
First experience with Rescuecom and the tech did an amazing job. Solved all of my issues. I highly r
...First experience with Rescuecom and the tech did an amazing job. Solved all of my issues. I highly recommend them to anyone. less
pat tracy
pat tracy
3 months ago
Roy did an excellent job retrieving lost email folders. I really appreciated his time and efforts.
...Roy did an excellent job retrieving lost email folders. I really appreciated his time and efforts. less
Valley View Self Storage
Valley View Self Storage
4 months ago
We highly recommend Rescuecom Corporation. We needed immediate help with our office computer and ge
...We highly recommend Rescuecom Corporation. We needed immediate help with our office computer and getting us back up and running they were very through and great to work with. less
View all Google reviews

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