Google’s New Trademark Policy
Up until now, if you were a trademark brand, preventing others from using your brand in their Google ads was a tedious process. You had to fill out a trademark complaint form, asserting ownership and requesting explicit permission for others to use it. Google would then either disapprove or limit ads that violated these restrictions, causing frustrations for both advertisers and trademark owners.
But here’s the exciting news: Google is revolutionizing their approach. Instead of enforcing blanket trademark restrictions, they’re shifting the responsibility to the brands themselves. Under the new policy, trademark owners will need to inform Google specifically about advertisers they want to exclude from using their brand. If you come across an ad misusing your brand, simply reach out to Google, and they’ll take care of the issue.
Benefits & Challenges of the New Policy
One significant advantage of this change is the reduction of over-flagging by Google. Previously, innocent words or phrases coincidentally matching trademarks could trigger unnecessary complications. For instance, if a business called “Destiny” requested Google to disallow ads using their brand, ads mentioning the word “destiny” in other contexts could get flagged, causing delays and challenges for advertisers. With the new policy, such incidents should be minimized.
Of course, trademark owners now face the challenge of actively monitoring and reporting any unauthorized use of their brand. While it may require additional effort, this policy ultimately empowers brands to have better control over how their trademarks are used on Google.
When the New Policy Takes Effect
The rollout of the new policy is scheduled for July 2023. If you’ve already filed a trademark complaint form before this date, the existing policy will still apply initially. However, over the next 12 to 18 months, Google will gradually transition to the new policy. For any new trademark filings after July 24th, the new policy will be in immediate effect, eliminating the blanket trademark flagging.
Interested in Dominating Google Ads?
If you’re interested in keeping up to date on Google’s policies and changes in the advertising world or if you’re eager to drive your business forward with Google Ads, StubGroup is your trusted partner. With our extensive experience and a track record of generating nearly half a billion dollars for our clients through Google ads, we are recognized as one of the top-performing Google Partners worldwide.
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