Google recognizes the importance of trademarks. Our AdWords Terms and Conditions with advertisers prohibit intellectual property infringement by advertisers. Advertisers are responsible for the keywords they choose to generate advertisements and the text that they choose to use in those advertisements.
Google takes allegations of trademark infringement very seriously and, as a courtesy, we investigate matters raised by trademark owners. Trademarks are territorial and apply only to certain goods or services. Therefore, different parties can own the same mark in different countries or different industries. Accordingly, in processing complaints, Google will ask the trademark owner for information regarding where the mark is valid and for what goods or services. Please note the following about our complaint process:
- The trademark owner doesn't need to be a Google AdWords advertiser in order to send a complaint.
- Any such investigation will only affect ads served on or by Google.
- Google's trademark policy does not apply to search results. Our investigations only apply to sponsored links. For trademark concerns about websites that appear in Google search results, the trademark owner should contact the site owner directly.
- In the case of an AdSense for Domains trademark complaint, an investigation will affect only the participation of the domain name in question in our AdSense for Domains program.
- Because Google is not a third-party arbiter, we encourage trademark owners to resolve their disputes directly with the advertisers, particularly because the advertisers may have similar ads running via other advertising programs.
AdWords Trademark Policies in Sponsored Links
Below, you can find information on our trademark complaint procedure across different regions as well as on our advertiser authorization procedure.
I see an unauthorized ad using my trademark. What is Google's trademark policy?
Depending on the regions in which you have trademark rights, we may investigate the use of trademarks in ad text only or in ad text and keywords.
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Please note the regions we will investigate ad text only. We will not disable keywords in response to a trademark complaint. Furthermore, our investigation will only affect ads served on or by Google.
Regions in which we investigate use in ad text only
Afghanistan Albania Algeria American Samoa Andorra Angola Anguilla Antarctica Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia Aruba Azerbaijan The Bahamas Bahrain Baker Island Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belize Benin Bermuda Bhutan Bolivia Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana British Indian Ocean Territory British Virgin Islands Brunei Burkina Faso Burundi Cambodia Cameroon Canada Cape Verde Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad Chile Colombia Comoros Congo Cook Islands Costa Rica Côte d'Ivoire Croatia Cuba Democratic Republic of the Congo Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Ethiopia Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) Faroe Islands Fiji Gabon The Gambia Gaza Strip Georgia Ghana Greenland Grenada Guam Guatemala Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana Haiti Holy See (Vatican City) Honduras Howland Island India Indonesia Iran Iraq Ireland Israel Jamaica Japan Jarvis Island Johnston Atoll Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kingman Reef Kiribati Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Laos Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libya Macedonia (FYROM) Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Marshall Islands Mauritania Mauritius Mexico Micronesia Midway Islands Moldova Mongolia Montenegro Montserrat Morocco Mozambique Myanmar (Burma) Namibia Nauru Nepal Netherlands Antilles Nicaragua Niger Nigeria Niue Northern Mariana Islands Oman Pakistan Palau Palmyra Atoll Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Pitcairn Islands Puerto Rico Qatar Russia Rwanda Saint Helena Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Samoa San Marino São Tomé and Príncipe Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Solomon Islands Somalia South Africa South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Sri Lanka Sudan Suriname Swaziland Syria Tajikistan Tanzania Thailand Timor-Leste Togo Tokelau Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkey Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom United States Uruguay Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela Vietnam Virgin Islands Wake Island West Bank Western Sahara Yemen Zambia Zimbabwe - In the U.S., we allow some ads to show with a trademark in ad text if the ad is from a reseller or from an informational site. However, if our investigation finds that the advertiser is using the trademark in the ad text in a manner which is competitive, critical, or negative, we will require the advertiser to remove the trademark and prevent them from using it in similar ad text in the future. Learn more about our U.S. trademark policy.
- Outside the U.S., if our investigation finds that the advertiser is using the trademark in ad text, we will require the advertiser to remove the trademark and prevent them from using it in ad text in the future.
- Google is dedicated to providing relevant advertising to our users, advertisers, and publishers alike. Accordingly, our trademark policy not to investigate the use of trademarks as keywords in the regions listed above aims to provide users with choices relevant to their keywords. At the same time, we investigate trademark violations in ad text, both as a courtesy to the trademark owner and to ensure that ads are clear to users.
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In certain regions, we may investigate use of trademarks in ad text, in keywords, or in both ad text and keywords.
Regions in which we investigate use in both ad text and keywords
Åland Ashmore and Cartier Islands Australia Austria Bassas da India Belgium Bouvet Island Brazil Bulgaria China Christmas Island Clipperton Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Coral Sea Islands Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Estonia Europa Island Finland France French Guiana French Polynesia French Southern and Antarctic Lands Germany Gibraltar Greece Guadeloupe Guernsey Heard Island and McDonald Islands Hong Kong Hungary Iceland Isle of Man Italy Jan Mayen Jersey Latvia Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Macau Malta Martinique Mayotte Monaco Netherlands New Caledonia New Zealand Norfolk Island North Korea Norway Poland Portugal Reunion Romania Saint Martin Saint Pierre and Miquelon Slovakia Slovenia South Korea Spain Svalbard Sweden Switzerland Taiwan Tromelin Island Wallis and Futuna - When we receive a complaint from a trademark owner, our review is limited to ensuring that the advertisements at issue are not using a term corresponding to the trademarked term in the ad text or as a keyword. If they are, we will require the advertiser to remove the trademarked term from the ad text or keyword list and will prevent the advertiser from using the trademarked term in the future. Any such investigation will only affect ads served on or by Google.
- We do not take any action in situations where an advertisement is being triggered by non-trademarked terms even though the search query contains a trademarked term. This occurrence stems from the fact that Google allows advertisers to use a broad matching system to target their ads. For example, if an advertiser has selected the keyword "shoes," that advertiser's ad will appear when a user enters the word "shoes" as a search query, regardless of other search terms that may be used. So, the ad would show if the user entered any of the following search queries: "tennis shoes," "red shoes," or "Nike shoes." This system eliminates the need for the advertiser to specify each of the myriad different search query combinations that are relevant to their ad.
How do I file a trademark complaint?
Trademark owners may submit either a specific or general trademark complaint. A specific complaint means that we will investigate a trademark term(s) in specific advertisements only. The trademark owner is required to provide the exact URLs in question and we will not investigate the trademark in any other advertisements. A general complaint means that we will investigate the trademark in all relevant advertisements. The trademark owner does not need to provide the specific URLs in question. However, if there are specific advertisers that are authorized to use the trademark(s), the trademark owner is required to provide the corresponding customer ID(s) or login email(s).
If you have concerns about the use of your trademark in AdWords ads or keywords showing in a region listed above, file a trademark complaint. If your complaint concerns use of your trademark in multiple regions, please send us one complaint with ownership information for your trademark in these regions. We'll follow the appropriate procedure for each region submitted in your complaint.
If we have processed a complaint for a trademark, advertisers using the mark in the regions and industry of the trademark owner will have their keywords and/or ad text disapproved according to the processes outlined above.
If an advertiser has been restricted from using a trademark and disagrees with the owner's assertion of exclusive rights or believes he has a right to use the mark, we encourage the advertiser to contact the trademark owner directly and request permission to use the trademark. If the trademark owner (or contact person listed on the trademark complaint) provides Google with an authorization, the advertiser will be able to use the trademark in his ad campaign. Please note that the trademark owner may change or rescind the authorization at any time. As such, please review the below criteria to determine whether you are eligible to submit an authorization request form.
- We only accept authorization requests directly from the trademark owner or from the contact person listed on the trademark complaint. We are not able to accept requests from regional branches or subsidiaries of the trademark owner, unless they are the contact person listed on the trademark complaint form or previously authorized by the trademark owner.
- We only accept non-conditional authorization requests. Therefore, please do not include conditions for which the trademark may only be used, such as time period or type of ad content. We are only able to prohibit or allow all use of a particular term by an advertiser. Trademark owners may revoke the authorization at any time.
- Please do not use this form unless you are the trademark owner or the contact person listed on the trademark complaint. Trademark owners may also use this form to authorize their own accounts.
If you agree with the statements above, please file a trademark authorization request online.
AdWords Counterfeit Goods Complaint in Sponsored Links
A Google advertiser is selling counterfeit goods. What is Google's Counterfeit Goods policy?
Google AdWords prohibits the sale or promotion of counterfeit goods. Counterfeit goods contain a trademark or logo that is identical to or substantially indistinguishable from the trademark of another. They mimic the brand features of the product in an attempt to pass themselves off as a genuine product of the brand owner, or they promote the goods as faux, replicas, imitations or clones of the original product.
• AdWords Counterfeit vs. Trademark Policy:
Our counterfeit policy concerns the actual goods promoted on the site in question, whereas our trademark policy concerns use of the trademark in the ad text or keywords (in certain circumstances) in the ad itself.
• AdWords Counterfeit vs. DMCA/Copyright/Pirated Goods:
Counterfeiters mimic the trademark brand features, rather than copying the product itself (software, books, artwork, movies, etc.).
We will investigate all reasonable complaints; our actions may include disapproving or disabling ads and/or terminating advertisers. Any such investigation and action will only affect ads served on or by Google.
Please note that, upon request and approval, a complainant's contact details may be forwarded to the affected advertiser(s).
If you have concerns about the sale of counterfeit goods in AdWords ads, please file a complaint. Note: This form is only available in English.
Learn more about the Google AdWords Copyright policy.
AdSense for Domains Trademark Policy
Google provides an ad serving program via our AdSense for Domains service, wherein domain registrars can display ads on their inactive domains. If you are unsure what a parked domain is, please review this page before submitting a complaint.
If you have concerns about the use of your trademark as a parked domain name, file an AdSense for Domains trademark complaint. Once Google receives all of the required information from the trademark owner, the claim will be investigated, and appropriate action will be taken.
Concerned about the use of one of Google's trademarks? Please let us know about websites using Google trademarks inappropriately.