Search Engine Journal

Search giant Google has asked a US court to decide whether its keyword searches infringe upon company trademarks.

The move comes after several companies have complained about the fact that Google’s AdWords scheme allows competitors to use their trademarked names, or parts of those names, to trigger ads linked to the websites of those competitors.

The company has reportedly threatened to sue Google if the issue is not resolved, causing the search firm, which is thought to get the majority of its revenue from keyword advertising, to seek legal guidance from the court.