If a competitor is advertising on Google with your brand, first check where the brand appears in the ad. Google Ads' trademark policy can restrict the use of a trademark in ad text following a complaint, but it does not restrict the use of a trademark as a keyword. Use in ad text is reported through Google's legal content reporting process. Use only as a keyword is a matter not for Google but for trademark law, such as Türkiye's Industrial Property Law, and your lawyer assesses that route.
What does Google Ads restrict, and what does it not?
Google Ads' "Trademarks" policy page says that when a trademark owner submits a complaint, Google reviews it and may restrict the use of the trademark. The review criteria can be summarised as follows:
| Use | Google Ads policy | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| The trademark in the ad text | Can be restricted on complaint; the mark must appear in the ad, not only on the landing page | Google Ads, Trademarks |
| The trademark in a direct competitor's ad | Restricted | Same page |
| Confusing, deceptive or misleading use of the trademark | Restricted | Same page |
| The trademark as a keyword | Not restricted | Same page |
| The trademark in the second-level domain of the display URL | Not restricted | Same page |
| Resellers and sellers of components, replacement parts or compatible products | Not restricted; the landing page must show commercial information such as how to buy and prices, and it must be clear the advertiser is a reseller or an informational site | Same page |
| Informational pages and descriptive use of the mark in its ordinary meaning | Not restricted | Same page |
The most important row is the keyword row. A Google complaint saying "the competitor bought my brand as a keyword" does not work, because the policy does not restrict that use. The subject of the complaint is the ad text.
How do you report it to Google?
The policy page says trademark complaints are made through Google's legal content reporting process. The process starts on Google's "Report content for legal reasons" page, where you select Google Ads as the product and trademark as the reason. According to the policy page:
- Google accepts complaints only for the countries and sectors in which the trademark owner proves its trademark rights.
- The complaint must be about specific advertisers identified by their URLs. A general request that nobody use the mark is not processed in this procedure.
- If Google decides to restrict, the restriction generally continues to apply to all ads using the same second-level domain in their final URL.
- An advertiser who thinks a restriction is wrong can follow the instructions in the notice to appeal.
A policy violation does not lead to the advertiser's account being suspended without notice; Google sends a warning at least seven days before a suspension. Expecting a complaint to close the account at once is therefore unrealistic.
If you are not sure which policy your issue falls under, Google's Trademark Troubleshooter points you to the right resource.
How should the ad be recorded before you report it?
Search ads vary by user, location and time. If you do not record an ad when you see it, you may not find the same view again. The record should include:
- the search query and a dated screenshot of the results page showing the ad,
- the ad headline, description and display URL,
- the link to and a screenshot of the landing page,
- the country and city of the search, the date and time,
- the advertiser's name; information about the advertiser and its ads can be looked up in Google's Ads Transparency Center,
- a document showing in which country and classes your trademark is registered.
The last item matters, because Google limits the complaint to the countries and sectors where the right is proven. For an ad shown in searches in Türkiye, the registration in Türkiye goes into the file; for an ad in another market, the right in that market.
What route is left for keyword use?
Use that Google does not restrict is not necessarily lawful. Under Article 7(3)(d) of Türkiye's Industrial Property Law No. 6769, the use of an identical or similar sign online as a domain name, redirecting code, keyword or in a similar way that has a commercial effect can be prohibited, provided the user has no right or legitimate connection to the sign. Item (f) of the same article also lists unlawful comparative advertising.
Whether this provision applies to a specific campaign depends on questions such as the likelihood of confusion, the content of the ad and whether the competitor has a legitimate connection. Article 7(5) also lists uses the trademark owner cannot prevent when made honestly and in the ordinary course of trade, such as indicating the intended purpose of accessories or spare parts. A cease-and-desist letter or court action against keyword use is therefore for your lawyer to assess. We summarise the legal routes in what is the penalty for selling counterfeit goods.
What changes if the ad leads to a fake site?
A competitor's ad and a fake site's ad are different problems. A competitor sells its own product and uses your brand to draw traffic. A fake site imitates your brand to collect payments or personal data. In the second case, phishing and misrepresentation channels, the domain registrar and the hosting provider come into play alongside Google's trademark policy. We cover this scenario in fake discount websites and lookalike domains.
How does Authex monitor ads?
Authex scans sponsored search results that appear for your brand name on Google, and the Meta, TikTok and LinkedIn ad libraries. A finding is created if the advertiser using your brand is not one of the advertisers you have approved; authority claims in the ad text such as "original" or "official" are detected as well. The ad's text and image are recorded with the dates Authex first and last saw the ad; for text ads without an image, a screenshot of the landing page is also taken. Your own ad accounts are kept on an allowlist.
For each finding, an evidence file and a notice draft are prepared, and the ad's status is monitored after the complaint. The decision to send the complaint and the sending belong to the brand team or its lawyer; Google decides whether to restrict the ad. Legal action against keyword use is the lawyer's assessment. The scope is on the ad monitoring page.
Frequently asked questions
Can I report a competitor to Google for bidding on my brand as a keyword?
Google Ads policy does not restrict keyword use. A Google complaint will not work for that use; your lawyer can assess the route under Article 7(3)(d) of the Industrial Property Law.
Does a Google complaint apply in all countries?
No. Google accepts complaints only for the countries and sectors where the trademark rights are proven.
My reseller uses my brand in its ads. Is that restricted too?
If the landing page serves the sale of the branded product, shows commercial information such as how to buy and prices, and it is clear the advertiser is a reseller, the policy does not restrict this use. Setting advertising rules for resellers in the contract is therefore the more effective route.
Will the competitor's account be closed after the complaint?
For policy violations, Google sends a warning at least seven days before suspending an account. Restrictions usually apply at ad level.
This article is for general information. Google's policy pages can change; check the current text before reporting and consult your lawyer for a legal assessment.
Sources
- Google Ads Policy Help, Trademarks
- Google Legal Help, Report content for legal reasons
- Google Legal Help, legal content reporting troubleshooter
- Google Ads, Trademark Troubleshooter
- Google Ads Policy Help, Advertiser verification and the Ads Transparency Center
- Industrial Property Law No. 6769 (Article 7), in Turkish
