Trademarked terms

[Quantam Goose]

Its disappointing enough that the kwds have rocketed up, but now Google has disapproved one of my ads for use of the word "Latitude". [You know like Latitude and Longitude} Evidently DELL thinks they own the word. My God, next they are going to hire Clinton to parse the word "IS" "IS NOT".

[Demaestro]

That is HORRIBLE!

This is the problem with trademark law. How can someone
have exclusive rights over a single word that has a defined definition?

Hope DELL doesn't go after Merriam-Webster for using their trademarked term 'latidude'.

This has me right pissed off.

[Demaestro]

I just did a search of the trademark DB and it looks like it is trademrked by more then just Dell. For many types of products

-fragrences
-wines
-fungicide or insecticide
-Fitness and health club
-Headwalls for use in health care facilities

And it goes on and on and on!

Perhaps you should apply for the trademark in your specific product line. Then you can throw that back in Googles face. I am truely surprized to see the frequency in which a single word that refers to lines on our globe can be Trademarked more then once or at all for that matter.

src:
[uspto.gov...]

**Edited link, First one had a session id that expired.

[morganb8888]

I just got pulled up on the word "drive" in Australia. It's quite hard to do a large campaign for a car where you cant say the word drive.

[venrooy]

You can send google a counter notice - the directions on how to do it should be in the email they sent you when they stopped you ad. There's no way that Dell is going to put up an actual legal battle over the word latitude. They're just taking advantage of the system - a system that needs some redoing.

[robertskelton]

Just re-submit it and request an exception, or write to Google - they almost always make exceptions when the word you are using is clearly in a different context to the trademark

[humblebeginnings]

Always wondered; if you are in the fruit business and you want to advertise apples, how on earth are you going to do that? People searching for your product end up with computers, and your are not allowed to use your own product as a search query...

[edited: Just read the robertskelton comment. So if you sell apples (wich I don't), G might allow you to use the keyword "apple"?]

[Quantam Goose]

I did send an appeal. No response. The power of Dell's advertising budget trumps common sense. Eventually Google will evolve into a manufacturer approved sales channel.

[mike_ppc]

Please keep us posted if you receive an answer. The topic is very important and many people are interested in it.

[sem4u]

I had to request an exception for 'caps' today!

[venrooy]

If you fax to google the right counter notice, then they are required by law to put your ad back with-in 14 days. Unless the other party files a law suit.

[Quantam Goose]

Update on this trademark issue. I am/was a beta tester on MSN Search. They intially disapproved all my ads with the words "Precison" or "Latitude" or "dimension" in line with dells complaints. [ They said dell actually called them and complained]. I went through a lengthy an involved exchange with them about the silliness of Dell comnplaining about these words, and in particular, that this would eventually end up in court (or the news media) because it is so outrageous. I then sent them an op-ed column I had penned for a major US newspaper, that was being considered for publication. That article referenced only google.

WELL, 3 weeks later, I tested the waters for those same rejected ads and now MSN accepts (affirmatively) them, across the board. No communication from them, just the ads are running well with impressions and a few clicks.

They really really want to take a bite out of Google's hide :)

[BillyS]

The worst part is that misspellings can also apply. It's totally rediculous what words some companies are allowed to trademark.

I'm thinking of this new investion, I think I'll call it "The."

The device doesn't even need to work, I'll make a fortune off of the trademark term via lawsuits.

[michaelhood]

I can't say Pain in ads without a SquareTrade/exception.

"Pain".

"Buying widgets doesn't have to be a pain".

Also, "Very Sexy" gets disapproved (in editorial, not instant, so I can't request an exception) as a trademark.

"Shirts That Are Very Sexy".

This system is OUT OF CONTROL.

I got an e-mail a few days ago saying YSM will have instant ad approval, ad rotation, et al by the fall.

MSN and YSM are shoring up to give G a run for their money.

If I can get even 80% of the traffic I get from AdWords, via MSN+YSM, but with 10% of the hassle.. G can rest assured where I'll start my campaigns first in the future. It usually takes me 4+ months of refinement before I expand onto the other PPC engines.

[netmeg]

That's weird, I'm using "pain" in a bunch of my ads - I've had various trouble with trademarked words and editorial issues with drug and casino words (I have clients in the detox and money-handing industries) and I've always gotten exceptions, but I've never had a problem with the word "pain".