Google is planning to allow any online advertiser to bid for trademarked names on its UK and Irish search sites, in a move that has been attacked by digital media agencies as a cynical attempt to raise revenues that could ultimately confuse consumers.Google, which removed trademark protection from its North American sites four years ago, said it wants to give users “greater choices to help them make informed decisions” and believes the decision is legal under UK and Irish trademark law.But Gavin Sinden, digital strategy director at digital marketing agency Equi=Media whose clients include esure and FTSE 100 software company Sage, pointed out that the change comes as Google’s paid advertising clicks have, for the first time ever, started to show a decline.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/apr/04/google.google