How you can become victim of Google AdWords?

Google LLC is an American multinational technology company that specializes in online advertisements. Online ads are produced using Google’s “Google Ads” feature.

AdWords

Google Ads (previously Google AdWords, before July 24, 2018) is an online advertising platform developed by Google, where advertisers pay to display brief advertisements, service offerings, product listings, video content and generate mobile application installs within the Google ad network to web users. Google Ads' system is based on keywords determined by advertisers. Advertisers pay when users divert their browsing to click on the advertising copy.

Google AdWords Policy

There are multiple factors that determine when trademarks can be used in ads. Along with the factors described in the Policy centre, these policies apply only when a trademark owner has submitted a valid complaint to Google.

(i.e. If the owner having the trademark registered under his name doesn’t file complaint the trademark can be used by competitor for illegal gain and also it’s a revenue model for Google. Advertisements of trademark infringement found on automated advertising system which Google removes upon request, but Google stated it would keep the profits done through search.

How Google ads are made?

Create your first ad group, and write your first ad. More people click on ads when the headline includes the keyword they’re searching on. So use your keywords in your headline when you can. You’re limited to 25 characters here, so for some search terms, you’ll need to use abbreviations or shorter synonyms.

The second and third lines allow for 35 characters of text each. In most markets, you’ll be more successful if you describe a benefit on the second line, followed by a feature or offer on the third line. Later on, you can test which order converts better.

Even though Google places the field for your display URL-the web address people see in your ad-below your main ad copy here, when your ad displays on the search results page, its URL will actually show up right below your headline. The display URL has to be the same domain as your site, though the URL itself doesn’t necessarily have to be the specific landing page that you take people to.

The last line is your actual destination URL, or your specific chosen landing page. You can also use a tracking link here.

Here’s the short version of your ad template:

Headline: up to 25 characters of text

2nd line: up to 35 characters

3rd line: up to 35 characters

4th line: your Display URL

FIR Registered in Mumbai

There was an FIR registered at in one of the police stations in Mumbai regarding infringement of trademark of competitor’s company along with identity theft. The accused had used the competitor’s company name as keyword in Google AdWords list as a result whenever the users would search the complainant’s company name in Google search engine, the complainants company name used to get displayed in the URL along with the accused company’s website.

Responsibilities of Google:

While the FIR was registered, it was equally the responsibility of Google to conduct training and create awareness among the subscribers. Google failed miserably in this. Google encourages the subscriber to use the competitor’s name as in the keyword list, but refrained itself when an offence was registered. It also allows the competitor’s name to be used as a keyword to be displayed as Google Ads. This is in violation of trademark policy, but Google without taking cognizance of it allows its subscribers to do that. In India we have more than 90% users of Internet users not aware of security features in the cyber space as well as laws surrounding it. Therefore, under these circumstances an FIR getting registered is how much viable? Should not Google be booked for not providing awareness and training to its subscribers and for also not taking precautionary action by disapproving the AD, which eventually would not have lead in an offence getting registered. There is an advanced Google Ads feature that dynamically updates ad text to include one of your keywords that matches a customer's search terms.

Example:

Let's say person set headline as "Keyword: Cyber World” and one of the keywords in Ad Group was “Cyber Security Corporation", which is the name of person’s competitor company name.

While it's legal to bid on this keyword “Cyber Security Corporation”, it's not legal to display "Cyber Security Corporation" in the headline along with other website’s name (cybersolution.in). Dynamic Keyword Insertion has lead persons’ company to trademark infringement case.

The subscribers hence have to be cautious while availing the services of Google AdWords, otherwise it may lead to trademark and copyright infringements which is a cognizable offence.