Apple terms ‘dirty’ words in Google AdWord campaigns
Posted by Dennis Sellers 
Oct 22, 2005 at 4:27pm
Apple and Google have teamed up on any AdWords subscriber, preventing them from using the word “Apple” in any AdWord campaign. Also, Apple now wants to monopolize words like “iPod” as well.
Google AdWords ads are designed to connect advertisers with new customers based keywords designed to help Google match ads to a particular audience and pay only when someone clicks on them. A source who was upset that his ad was placed on hold received the following message from the Google AdWords Team:
“I apologize for your frustration. However, because Apple has requested that we monitor their trademarked terms according to their specifications, we are legally obligated to do so. For this reason, I cannot approve an ad containing the term ‘Apple’ and targeting ‘All Countries’ without direct authorization from Apple. Once you receive this authorization, I’ll be more than happy to review your ad.”
The message added: “If you believe you should be able to use ‘Apple’ in your ad, we ask that you please resolve that matter with the trademark owner. In order for us to allow the trademarked term ‘Apple’ to appear in your ads, we require direct authorization from the trademark owner. Please have the trademark owner provide the following information in a signed letter on company letterhead: an explicit statement authorizing you to use the trademarked term.”
Last month Apple ordered several online iPod accessory vendors, including everythingipod.co.uk and iPodlife to stop using the word “iPod” in their names or URLs. In August, Apple threatened legal action against iPod Essentials, which changed its name to mp3Essentials and handed ownership of the iPodEssentials.co.uk domain name to Apple. Earlier this year, one of the web’s leading iPod-focused websites, iPodLounge, changed its name to iLounge.
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Contributor
Dennis Sellers
Dennis has been a newspaper editor/reporter (seven years) and teacher (seven years). He has over 4,000 magazine, newspaper and online articles to his credit. He has also covered the Mac and tech industries for over a decade for such online publications as MacCentral, MacMinute and now MacsimumNews.
