Google plans trademark gambit

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Intentional confusion by some infringers

Hi, nice to meet you! I wanted to share that I have a trademark on a product I sell online. The same word is also my web address. No problem, I own them both. My competitors have been purchasing ads from Google. What they do is buy the exact words that are my trademark and domain name. They do not use them as occassional words peppered in the ad, they put these two words in the exact order they show on my TM registration papers right on the top of the ad as the Title of their google listing. Thus, it becomes clickable on the ad. When people who are familiar with my brand and my web address, they click on it and are spirited away to somewhere they never intended to go. There are at least 6 different companies that are in direct competition with me that are doing this not only on Google, but on Yahoo, altavista and anywhere they have been able to do it.

It has caused a tremendous amount of confusion in the small industry we are a part of. My brand is very famous in it's niche and they have diluted and confused people to the point that new people to my industry think my trademark is a common term for ALL product all the infringers sell as well as my brand. This is the other side of the coin. And it sucks eggs! My TM used to mean something, but they are diluting it and damaging my business. I asked Google several times to get a control of what they were doing. Said they can't help it.

Well, I turned in the complain re: TM and the ad words. I think selling off trademarked words to non affiliate competitors should be taken very seriously and not done at all.

Posted by: chichi_z   Posted on: 05/16/04 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use

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