Delhi High Court’s pathbreaking ruling on Google keyword advertising
The court said keyword bidding on trademarks can mislead search users and divert customers to rivals.
- On May 22, the Delhi High Court restrained Google from using "Hindware" as an advertising keyword, ruling that the practice infringed the trademark rights of the Indian bathroom fittings maker.
- Google previously enabled rivals to purchase "Hindware" as a keyword through Google AdWords, ensuring competitor advertisements appeared first when consumers searched for the brand name.
- Justice Mini Pushkarna ordered Google to pay $31,600 in damages, rejecting the company's argument that labeling sponsored results as "ads" eliminates consumer confusion.
- Zerodha founder Nithin Kamath said the ruling "now opens up a route for legal recourse" for brands facing similar trademark misuse, with Indian business leaders praising the decision.
- The decision is likely to influence future trademark disputes and reshape the online Ads market, though Google stated it operates in accordance with all local laws and will defend its position.
11 Articles
11 Articles
Delhi HC fines Google ₹30 lakh over use of Hindware trademark in AdWords
Delhi High Court ordered Google to pay Hindware 30 lakh damages for infringing its trademark by using it as AdWords keywords, citing unfair.Hindware trademark, Google AdWords, Delhi High Court ruling, trademark infringement, sanitaryware company lawsuit, advertising keywords, unfair commercial advantage, legal damages, brand protection, intellectual property, commercial gain, search term bidding, IT Act defence, registered trademarks, Hindware c…
Mint Explainer | Why Delhi HC says invisible keywords can infringe trademarks
The court ruled that using a registered brand name as a Google Ads keyword can amount to infringement even if the mark does not appear in the advertisement, in a case involving Hindware and Google.
Google Responds to Delhi HC Hindware Trademark Keyword Ruling
Following the Delhi High Court’s (HC) May 22 judgment permanently restraining Google from using “HINDWARE” as an advertising keyword, a Google spokesperson issued the company’s first public statement on the ruling. MediaNama covered the judgment in detail here. “We duly respect and operate in accordance with all local laws, and in instances where the orders are overbroad or inconsistent with our policies, we work to explain our position as per t…
After Google, will app stores and marketplaces face the next brand-keyword battle?
New Delhi: The Hindware-Google case began with a sanitaryware brand objecting to rivals buying its name as a search keyword. But the Delhi High Court’s order has opened up a much larger question for the digital advertising industry: Can platforms continue to sell brand intent that they did not create? The court has permanently restrained Google LLC and Google India from using Hindware’s registered trademark as an advertising keyword on its platf…
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