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Google to face trial over Adwords

"The reality is that companies large and small are hurt when Google uses a company's trademark, without permission, for the benefit of the company's competitors and Google. This is the first time a jury will have the chance to hear how Google's business model takes advantage of companies."

-- David Rammelt, ABWF attorney

A judge on Friday set a November date to pick jurors for a US civil trial focused on whether Google violates other companies' trademarks with its hugely lucrative online advertising platform.

American Blind & Wallpaper Factory Inc (ABWF) accuses Google of infringing on its trademarks by including them among Internet search terms that trigger displays of ads from competitors.

"The reality is that companies large and small are hurt when Google uses a company's trademark, without permission, for the benefit of the company's competitors and Google," said attorney David Rammelt of Kelley Drye & Warren, which is representing ABWF. "This is the first time a jury will have the chance to hear how Google's business model takes advantage of companies that have built the value of their trademarks through hard work and investment."

The lawsuit is a potentially precedent-setting attack on Google's incredibly profitable "Adwords" program that the Mountain View, California-based firm uses to target Internet users with ads.

In a recent filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission, Google credits its Adwords platform with accounting for 98 percent of annual revenues, which topped US$10.6 billion last year.

A US federal court judge last month rejected a motion by Google to dismiss the case.

Google litigation counsel Catherine Lacavera said on Friday that the company was confident ABWF "will be unable to prove" their claims at trial.

The trial is to be held in the US district court in the Silicon Valley city of San Jose. Jury selection is to begin on Nov. 9.
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