Are you allowed to use competitors names in adwords Keywords

Leeroy · Apr 22, 2008

Hi,

Looking for a little help. I own lets say leedomain.co.uk and someone else owns lee-domain.co.uk and has google adwords like below. Question is, is this allowed?

LeeDomain.co.uk
blah, blah blah blah, blah
blah, blah blah blah, blah
Lee-Domain.co.uk

GreyWing · Apr 23, 2008

It depends on a lot of things mate, I have had some blocked before for them being against trademark rules according to Google.

Although the fact that I was spending £5 per day and the company was probably spending more than £10,000 a day might have had something to do with it.

So ultimately it depends on what google decide and they don't often reverse their decision.

But they don't ban you for it, they just prevent your ads from being seen on that particular keyword, so your ads could run for a day, a week or a year before anyone notices it and raises the issue with google.

All the best
GW

Leeroy · Apr 23, 2008

Hi Greywing,

Its my company name they are using in there adwords to get people through the door as they own the hyphenated version of the name.

Its like me buying acorn-domains.co.uk and using the following google ads. What could admin do to stop me?.

AcornDomains.co.uk
The best place to sell
buy and lease domains!
acorn-domains.co.uk

SF · Apr 23, 2008

You mean like this Lee http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q=dish+cloths&btnG=Google+Search&meta=

Check out the business advertising my name

Julian got me a google thread explaining it was not allowed if he see this post he might post the link for you.

Weird thing is that company have never owned it either

I guess thats a true example of the power of generic domains

yesterday · Apr 23, 2008

https://adwords.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=92877&hl=en_GB

Google are just about to change their policy

as far as I understand it:
anyone will be able to bid on brand names as far as google is concerned, though if you break trademark or passing off law and the brand owner complains then google will ban your ads from using those terms.

yesterday