Search Engine Journal

Trademarks cast shadow on paid search: ZDNet Australia: News & Tech: E-Business

Netflix built its popular Internet DVD rental store on the backs of small online marketing partners. Now it’s concerned that those same affiliates are infringing its trademark in the hottest marketing channel on the Web: keyword-search advertising.
At the Search Engine Strategies conference here Tuesday, Netflix senior marketing manager Robert Hatta asked a panel of search engine marketing experts how to deal with the issue. The question: Should Netflix move to block third-party marketers from using its trademarks in advertisements on Google and Overture Services? Or should it allow affiliates to use its trademark freely to promote its service and bring in new customers?

“Do we let the affiliates run it, or ban it like eBay did?” Hatta asked, referring to a recent move by the auction giant to request that Google bar companies from bidding on results keyed to its trademark.