Google Wins Trademark Ad Lawsuit

Major news on the Google/Geico lawsuit:

"U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema rejected a claim by auto insurance giant Geico Corp., which argued that Google should not be allowed to sell ads to rival insurance companies that appear whenever Geico's name is typed into the Google search box. "

Forbes.com

I have to say I agree with Judge Brinkema. I like the ruling.

I also noticed that Google seems to have implemented a realtime trademark and spell check tool that catches potential trademark infringement as you submit your ad, rather than sending you an email later on like they used to. I'm not sure if they implemented this new system as a response to the lawsuit (they now allow you to bid on trademarked terms, but not use them in your ad), or if I just hadn't triggered the system before today. Today was the first time I'd seen it. If they suspect a trademarked term is being used in the ad, they give you the option to change it or request an exception for that ad. Your ad will be placed in "pending" status until it is reviewed and either rejected or accepted.