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Google wins in trademark suit with Geico
CNet News ^
| 12/15/2004
| Stefanie Olsen
Posted on 12/15/2004 2:55:11 PM PST by TChris
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Another anti-business ruling?
1
posted on
12/15/2004 2:55:11 PM PST
by
TChris
To: TChris
2
posted on
12/15/2004 2:55:46 PM PST
by
Rodney King
(No, we can't all just get along)
To: TChris
Another anti-business ruling? No. It is another FAIR business ruling.
To: TChris
What Google does is when you type "geico" into the search engine, it doesn't just give you Geico, it also gives those paid ads for other insurance companies on the right hand side of the screen. Geico claimed that was an unfair use of it's trademark, which is ridiculous, in my opinion.
4
posted on
12/15/2004 2:57:39 PM PST
by
Rodney King
(No, we can't all just get along)
To: WildTurkey
It is another FAIR business ruling.I haven't been following this case very closely at all. It does seem a bit unfair to me that a competitor's ad can be tied to my company's name, though.
5
posted on
12/15/2004 3:00:25 PM PST
by
TChris
(Most people's capability for inference is severely overestimated)
To: TChris
I haven't been following this case very closely at all. It does seem a bit unfair to me that a competitor's ad can be tied to my company's name, though.GEICO's got money (quite a bit of mine, at that). They can (and should) return the favor by piggybacking as much as possible on their competitors' keywords.
To: Rodney King
And when you call 411 information and ask for Geico should they give you the number for Allstate if Allstate pays the phone company to do this?
7
posted on
12/15/2004 3:06:01 PM PST
by
tophat9000
(We didn’t rise they sunk look at the blue, water filled, sink holes map (Mike Moore Fatass divots ?)
To: TChris
It does seem a bit unfair to me that a competitor's ad can be tied to my company's name, though.I compare Google to the Yellow Pages. When I look up an insurance company in the Yellow Pages, there are many company's ads there, some even larger and more flashy than others. I don't think its all that bad that other company's ads appear on Google.
8
posted on
12/15/2004 3:07:43 PM PST
by
egarvue
(Piss a liberal off...wish them Merry Christmas!)
To: TChris
Another anti-business ruling?Not if the business is Google.
No, I see nothing wrong with the ruling at all.
To: tophat9000
But you're not dialing 411 to get a single number, you're looking up something in the internet's version of the yellow pages. Look up Geico in the phonebook, and you'll see numbers and ads for Allstate, State Farm etc., etc.
10
posted on
12/15/2004 3:09:57 PM PST
by
egarvue
(Piss a liberal off...wish them Merry Christmas!)
To: Constitutionalist Conservative
Is this the same Geico that is pro gun control?
11
posted on
12/15/2004 3:10:03 PM PST
by
TYVets
(God so loved the world he didn't send a committee)
To: tophat9000
And when you call 411 information and ask for Geico should they give you the number for Allstate if Allstate pays the phone company to do this? Actually, you may be on to something. I would see nothing wrong with the phone company trying to market such a service. The operator would give the number for Geico as requested and then say: "Would you like the toll free number for Allstate as well?"
To: egarvue
Exactly right. Should General Mills sue supermarkets because they put Post cereals on the same shelf? No. Same thing here.
To: tophat9000
And when you call 411 information and ask for Geico should they give you the number for Allstate if Allstate pays the phone company to do this? Actually, you may be on to something. I would see nothing wrong with the phone company trying to market such a service. The operator would give the number for Geico as requested and then say: "Would you like the toll free number for Allstate as well?"
To: tophat9000
And when you call 411 information and ask for Geico should they give you the number for Allstate if Allstate pays the phone company to do this?That isn't how it works. You enter Geico as a search word and Google gives you the search results. The competing ads are on the right hand side of the page.
I think this is just good business by Google. If you are searching for Geico, that is a good indicator that you are shopping for insurance. It isn't like Google is some sort of public service. It is a for profit search engine.
15
posted on
12/15/2004 3:14:14 PM PST
by
shempy
(EABOF)
To: egarvue
When I look up an insurance company in the Yellow Pages, there are many company's ads there......but only if you look up "insurance". If you look up "Geico", which would be in the white pages, you shouldn't be getting ads for their competitors. I have no problem with ads being tied to a generic term like "insurance", but it bugs me to get a competitor ad when I'm searching for a specific company. With the huge amount of $$ a business owner has to spend in advertising to get that level of name recognition, it's uncool, IMO.
16
posted on
12/15/2004 3:15:43 PM PST
by
TChris
(Most people's capability for inference is severely overestimated)
To: TChris
This isn't for the search results themselves.
This is about the ads that pop up on the left side when you do a search.
If you go over to
Google right now and search for Geico, you'll see what they are talking about.
That's Google's right to sell that space to whomever they want. It's also Geico's right to buy up that space.
Three of the top four results from the search are Geico related.
Besides, Google does a good job of differentiating between the "Sponsored Links" and the actual search results.
17
posted on
12/15/2004 3:17:00 PM PST
by
jmcclain19
(More from me at http://www.offcenter.us)
To: San Jacinto
I see nothing wrong with the ruling at all. I don't either. It's no different than State Farm buying a display ad in the yellow pages on the page where Geico's listing is.
18
posted on
12/15/2004 3:17:12 PM PST
by
Nick Danger
(Want some wood?)
To: Rodney King
When you type in "John Kerry" in the google search box, paid advertisements for the "Girly Men of America" pop up.
19
posted on
12/15/2004 3:19:39 PM PST
by
snopercod
(Bigger government means clinton won. Less freedom means Osama won. Get it?)
To: jmcclain19
That's Google's right to sell that space to whomever they want. It's also Geico's right to buy up that space.I agree that it's Google's right to sell their advertisements, but I can certainly see why Geico would have a problem with those ads being tied to their trademarked name.
20
posted on
12/15/2004 3:21:24 PM PST
by
TChris
(Most people's capability for inference is severely overestimated)
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