Post Tagged with: "internet advertising"

B.C. Court Clicks With Internet Advertising Keyword Case

Google has grown to become the world’s leading Internet company based largely on accurate search results, yet its financial success owes much to tiny advertisements that are posted as sponsored links alongside the "organic" search results.  The determination of which sponsored links appear on a Google search result page comes in part from a keyword advertising system in which marketers bid on specific words. Whenever a user clicks on the sponsored link, the marketer pays Google the bid amount.  Each click may only cost a few pennies, but with millions of clicks every day, the keyword advertising business is a multi-billion dollar business for Google and has been emulated by competitors such as Yahoo and Microsoft.

Keyword advertising has been a huge commercial success fueling many ad-supported websites, but it has not been without legal controversy.  The practice has generated a steady stream of cases addressing whether the use of a competitor's keyword raise potential trademark or misleading advertising issues.  For example, is Coca-Cola permitted to bid on the Pepsi keyword so that when an Internet user searches for Pepsi they are presented with a sponsored link for Coke?

The issue has been litigated in other countries, but my weekly technology law column (Toronto Star version, homepage version) notes that late last month a B.C. court provided the Canadian perspective for the first time. 

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June 10, 2010 8 comments Columns

B.C. Court Clicks in Internet Advertising Keyword Case

Appeared in the Toronto Star on June 7, 2010 as Google's Keywords Belong to Top Bidders Google has grown to become the world’s leading Internet company based largely on accurate search results, yet its financial success owes much to tiny advertisements that are posted as sponsored links alongside the "organic" […]

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June 7, 2010 Comments are Disabled Columns Archive

Bell Aliant Sues Rogers Over Internet Ads

The Globe reports that Bell Aliant has fired the latest salvo in the fight over Internet speed claims, suing Rogers over its marketing campaign.

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February 16, 2010 11 comments News

Internet Gambling Advertising Bill Introduced in Ontario

Thanks to John Gregory for pointing out that a private member’s bill was introduced yesterday into the Ontario legislature that seeks to prohibit advertising of unregulated Internet gambling.  If enacted, the Bill C-60 would amend the Consumer Protection Act by adding the following provision:

"No person shall print, publish, distribute, broadcast or telecast an advertisement or representation that includes an Internet gaming business website address unless the person believes in good faith that the Internet gaming business has been licensed or otherwise granted permission to operate in Ontario or Canada by the appropriate authority and is operated in accordance with the applicable laws of Ontario and Canada."

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February 16, 2006 3 comments News