Google - the search engine - is one of the biggest brands on the internet. If you are looking for information on the internet, it is a superb tool. However, if you are a business jockeying for a high position in the search results, the competition is intense.

The Google service is free to use and its entry page is iconic, uncluttered and free of advertising. One of the ways in which Google earns revenues is though its AdWords service.

In essence, an advertiser can purchase certain keywords. If someone then enters one of these words into the search engine, a link to the advertiser’s site appears at the top of the page adjacent to the search results. Google charges the advertiser a fee every time someone clicks on a sponsored link.

However, some advertisers try to manipulate search results by using their competitor’s brand names as keywords.

When a potential customer enters the competitor’s brand name into the search engine, the advertiser’s site will appear as a sponsored link. The potential costumer may then be diverted from the competitor’s site. Brand owners are taking the view that their intellectual property rights are being abused. This is beginning to attract litigation.

In October 2003, Google France was successfully sued for trademark infringement and ordered to pay e70,000 to two French travel agencies, Luteciel and Viaticum, which claimed rights in keywords "bourse des vols" and "bourse des voyages”.

The court found that Google France had violated their trademark rights by displaying a competitor’s sponsored links when these terms were used in the search engine. Google’s policy is not to monitor trademark abuse by advertisers and much of the AdWords service is set up mechanically on-line.

The French court expressed the view that Google should have a process to ensure that trademark abuse does not occur. Google is said to be appealing the decision.

Louis Vuitton SA is also suing Google on similar grounds and there are a number of such cases in the pipeline against Google and other search engine operators.

The sale of generic terms (such as travel, computer, camera) as keywords does not raise any legal issues. The problem arises where trademarks are sold as keywords.

The English courts have already held that a trademark may be infringed where it is included in the meta content (a website’s hidden text that is used by search engines to index websites) of a third party’s website (see Reed Executive plc v Reed Business Information Ltd [2002] and Road Tech Computer Systems v Mandata [2000]). The sale of keywords by search engines raises similar issues.

The legal question is not whether selling keywords is dubious or reprehensible, but whether the practice could constitute trademark infringement under the Trademarks Act 1994 or passing off.

But does the purchase of keywords constitute trademark use for the purpose of S10 of the Act; that is, use as an indication of trade origin? Following R v Johnstone [2003] the test is how the use of the sign would be perceived by the average consumer.

It will be hard for an advertiser to escape allegations that he was trying to manipulate or deceive consumers or suggest a connection that did not exist.

Where the mark is used in relation to similar goods/ services, infringement under S10(2) of the Act involves an assessment of the “likelihood of confusion on the part of the public”. Evidence will be required to show whether or not such confusion has arisen.

S10(3) of the Act applies in relation to well known trademarks and provides that there is an infringement where an identical or similar mark is used in relation to dissimilar goods/services and the use “takes unfair advantage of, or is detrimental to, the distinctive character or the repute of the trademark”.

In such cases, it may be arguable that the purchase of a well known brand as a keyword to divert internet users away from the brand-owner’s site was in some way taking unfair advantage of the brand.

Similarly, the owner of an unregistered trademark may be able to take common-law action to prevent passing off where there is a likelihood of deception.

There may be cases where legitimate use of third party brands as key words may be justified. For example, where the advertiser is a reseller of the goods/services concerned.

In the absence of such legitimate use, the Courts will be applying old remedies to new situations.

Nigel Miller is a partner at City law firm Fox Williams.