A French court on Friday ruled against Google in a trade mark infringement case brought by Louis Vuitton, in the latest legal setback to the search giant.
The Paris District Court has sanctioned Google and its French subsidiary from selling search-related keyword advertisements against trade marks owned by the luxury fashion designer, which sued the search giant in early 2004. The French Court found Google liable for trade mark infringement, unfair competition and misleading advertising. Google was ordered to pay $257,430 (€200,000):
“The ruling comes on the heels of another French court order against Google, in a case brought by European chain Le Meridien Hotels and Resorts. In that lawsuit, the court said Google infringed on Le Meridien’s trademarks by allowing the hotel chain’s rivals to bid on keywords of its name and then appear prominently in those related search results.”
Source: Stefanie Olsen, CNET News
