subject: Brands To Become 'fair Game' In Search Engine Optimisation Campaigns [print this page] Google has long courted controversy when it comes to branding. The company tried to stay at arms' length for as long as possible when it came to businesses using their rivals' trademarked names during PPC management campaigns.
Google basically said that the choice of keywords during any campaign was down to the business running the marketing strategy and that they should not breach copyright law by misusing trademarked material.
The company said: "Google takes allegations of trademark infringement very seriously and, as a courtesy, we're happy to investigate matters raised by trademark owners.
"Also, our Terms and Conditions with advertisers prohibit intellectual property infringement by advertisers and make it clear that advertisers are responsible for the keywords they choose to generate advertisements and the text that they choose to use in those advertisements."
But those comments are a few years old and times appear to have changed. Under Google's updated advertising policy, companies in the UK, Ireland and Canada embarking on SEO campaigns will be able to use trademarked terms even if they do not have ownership over them.
This policy has been in place in the US since last year. Firms in the States don't need permission to use trademarked material and the policy has, so far, been successful and hitch-free. In Britain and Canada, the policy will come into effect on September 14th.
Google will continue to monitor advertisements on a case-by-case basis when they are challenged by a trademark holder, and the company will pull the plug on those that do not adhere to its search engine marketing policies.
Peter Fitzgerald, industry director at Google UK, said that the move will bring Ireland, the UK and Canada in line with other parts of the world, where so-called "brand name bidding" is already common practice.
"We believe the user experience is improved if, for example, they conduct a search for a particular brand of TV and see ads which give them more detail about where they can buy that brand," he concluded.
