Protect Your Registered Trademark on Google AdWords   by Pixelrage

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Protect Your Registered Trademark on Google AdWords

If you're an AdWords user and have a registered trademark, make it so that nobody can ever use your company name in their ads. Here's how!

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Google AdWords & Your Trademark 

Sick and tired of writing C&D letters to your competitors for trademark infringement on AdWords? Worried about all of the other infringing ads out there that you have NOT seen? Did you ever wonder why it was impossible to use words like "Microsoft" within an AdWords ad... and have you wondered why their trademark is protected more than yours? Well, it isn't - they've just gone through a simple 5-minute process that you can go through, too!

Life doesn't have to be so annoying as a Google AdWords user. Here's little-known piece of information: with AdWords, you can submit a general trademark dispute form that will make it impossible for anyone to ever submit an ad with your company's name in the link or text portions!

Starting Off: What You'll Need 

First of all, you'll need to own a registered trademark for your company's name. If you have a trademark on your name, all you'll need is your application or registration number, which is usually in the format of 1,234,567.

Be sure to also have your Google AdWords customer ID number, which is a 10-digit number located on the upper right hand side of the screen when you log into AdWords. It is in the format of 123-456-7890.

Using the Online Form 

Read an introduction to AdWord's trademark complaint process (for whatever reason, they call it a Trademark Complaint form, even though it really isn't one). From there, you can go directly to the form information page, and choose whether you're filing a form within the US, Canada, UK or Ireland - or, outside of these countries.

These final two links will take you to the online form that you have to fill out. Note that your application will be rejected if you are not listed as the actual owner or registrant of the trademark. So, if you're doing this for your father or for your boss, Google will ask them to re-submit the form themselves.

Filling Out the Trademark Complaint Form 

Beyond the commonplace name and address information, here are some tips on other things you'll have to include on the form:
  • Google AdWords Customer ID number: be sure to include this, or your company will be blocked from advertising its own name in AdWords!
  • The Trademark Details section: Input the trademark name and its indicated details. If there aren't enough fields, be sure to list them in a Word doc, and attach them to the section above the form.
  • Scope of complaint: Always check the first option, "Your complaint involves all advertisers." Checking the second option doesn't make much sense - as I'm sure you'd rather make it so that nobody can ever use your company name in their ads, permanently. With this option, you will not have to provide an example of an offender.
  • Authorized entities: This is where you can add any of the affiliates, resellers, subsidiaries or other offices within your company of whom you give permission to use your company name within their AdWords ads. Anyone who'se not on this list will simply not be able to use the trademarked term!

Finishing Up 

Complete the rest of the form, and submit it. A copy of the entire completed form is then auto-emailed to you, for your records.

Upon review, Google will spider all ads that are using your company name. When approved, nobody will ever be able to go to the next step in AdWords if they use your company name anywhere within their own ad -- nice! (However, they will still be able to bid on your company name as a keyword).

It's as simple as that.

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Hope you've found this tutorial to be helpful in securing your Trademark rights within Google AdWords! Please leave a comment if you wish: