Google EU Ruling May Prompt Company to Tweak Its Search Layout

Google, spurred by a European Union court ruling, may need to consider changing the layout of its search results to better identify the trademark holders behind online ads, lawyers said.

The case centers on keywords -- the Internet search terms that Google uses to suggest relevant ads to users. The EU's high court found that Google could be liable under certain conditions if brand-name keywords link to ads that infringe the trademark. Advertisers also can be sued if they use keywords to trigger ads that hide the origin of the products. The ruling may prompt Google to change the way sponsored links are sold in its AdWords program and presented on search pages, said Nicola Dagg, an intellectual-property lawyer at Allen & Overy LLP in London. The ads are central to Google's business, accounting for most of its $23.7 billion in revenue last year. One idea may be that the sponsored link would contain a depiction of the advertiser's trademark or logo, showing that the right company is behind the goods or services, Dagg said.