EU court warns Google AdWords users over trademark infringement

ADVERTISERS using Google’s AdWords service have been warned they could fall foul of trademark laws if they abuse the system and confuse consumers.

The ruling from the European Court of Justice could especially affect Irish and British users, as for the past two years Google has refused to take down ads that use other companies trademarks’ in their key words.

Google sells keywords, including trademarks, to the highest bidder, allowing competitors to buy and use one another’s brand names.