Google to tackle trademark headache

Several news reports have indicated that Google is on the verge of announcing major changes to the way it handles trademark names when advertisers buy search terms that trigger the appearance of their copy, reports Ars Technica.

The move comes as the company faces increasing legal pressure in the form of lawsuits that accuse it of wilful trademark infringement through its AdWords program.

So far, however, Google hasn't detailed precisely how the terms will change, leaving the topic open for speculation, with different commentators suggesting that the move will aggravate or placate the trademark holders.

Online retailer Amazon.com has sued Discovery Communications for infringing on patents related to product searches on its shopping Web sites, escalating a legal battle that began in March when Discovery claimed that its inventions were used in Amazon's Kindle book readers, according to The Washington Post.

In a lawsuit filed in Seattle, Amazon says Discovery's online store violated four patents that allow consumers to narrow searches for products or receive recommendations based on previous purchases.

Amazon is seeking a court order to prevent Discovery from continuing to use the patents, as well as cash compensation for prior use.

When news broke that the US had placed Canada on an international watch list of the worst digital pirate havens and copyright offenders in the world, many MPs on Parliament Hill rolled their eyes, writes The Globe and Mail.

Canada has “gained a regrettable but well-deserved reputation as a safe haven for Internet pirates,” states a 2008 report from the International Intellectual Property Alliance, which is used by the office of the US trade representative to create its list of worldwide piracy hotbeds.

“Canada remains far behind virtually all its peers in the industrialised world with respect to its efforts to bring its copyright laws up to date with the realities of the global digital networked environment,” the report states.