Stratton Sues Google Over Rights To Firm Name
This seems to be playing out in every industry lately. While it has been a common practice to buy competitors names and brands in Goggle AdWords, people are just now starting to become irate about it. Google does not allow advertisers to use the brand names in the ads of businesses that do not own or license the tradename, but anyone can bid on any brand name or trademark in Google AdWords.
How would you feel if you typed your law firm’s name into an Internet search engine and saw a competitor’s name listed first in the results?
New Haven personal injury lawyers Michael Stratton and Joel Faxon were irate this week when they discovered that anyone Googling “Stratton Faxon” would find the firm’s web site listed in the second position.
Above it, shaded in light yellow to indicate a paid advertisement, was a listing labeled “Defending Patients’ Rights.” Smaller type showed the URL www.SGTlaw.com, which belongs to the Stamford personal injury firm of Silver Golub & Teitell.
Read full story via Connecticut Law Tribune
What do you think? Is it right for Google to force business to pay money to outbid competitiors who are trying to leverage a brand name they don’t own? Let us know we want to hear what the consensus is…
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