France’s top court rules in Google AdWords case

23 July 2010

Emma Barraclough, London

The high-profile battle between Google and Louis Vuitton over the use of keyword advertising is not yet over, after France’s highest court sent the dispute back to the Paris Court of Appeals

Last week the French Supreme Court, the Cour de Cassation, ruled in four related cases brought against the online search engine, including a lawsuit filed by the French luxury goods company, over Google's use of its AdWords programme.

The rulings come four months after the Court of Justice of the EU responded to questions asked of it by the French courts by ruling that Google had not breached EU trade mark law by allowing advertisers to bid on keywords trade marked by third parties.

But Europe's highest court left open the possibility that Google may be liable for infringement under member state laws.

Now the the Cour de Cassation has ruled that an internet referencing service provider, which only stores, as...



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