Google challenges Delhi HC ruling on Hindware trademark keyword ads

Google has challenged a Delhi High Court ruling that held the company liable for trademark infringement by allowing advertisers to bid on a rival company’s brand name as a keyword, according to a Reuters report.Court documents reviewed by Reuters show Google has argued that the ruling could adversely impact consumers and disrupt the functioning of online search advertising. The company is seeking to overturn the May order, which directed it to pay damages of around $31,600 along with litigation costs.The dispute centres on Google’s advertising platform, where businesses bid on keywords to display sponsored search results to users. Bathroom fittings maker Hindware had alleged that competing brands purchased keywords linked to its trademark, causing advertisements for rival companies to appear prominently when users searched for “Hindware”, Reuters reported.The Delhi High Court ruled in favour of Hindware, holding Google liable in the matter. The verdict is being closely watched as it could influence how trademark rights are interpreted in India’s digital advertising ecosystem.The case comes at a time when Google is facing heightened regulatory scrutiny in India, including multiple antitrust investigations and legal challenges related to its digital business practices. Reuters reported that Google generated an estimated $4.1 billion in gross advertising revenue in India last year.Hindware, which operates in the sanitaryware, bathroom fittings, kitchen solutions and home appliances segments through Hindware Home Innovation Limited, had argued that its trademark was being unfairly leveraged by rival brands through Google’s keyword advertising system.The outcome of Google’s appeal is expected to have wider implications for advertisers, trademark owners and digital platforms, particularly on whether bidding on competitors’ brand names as search keywords amounts to trademark infringement under Indian law.