Don’t google it: Search it on Google

Often the big leviathans try to get hold of small fishes in the water and get away easily. Same is true in the keyword policies of the big giants like Amazon, Uber seeking to divert the traffic of the small ones. Recently Flintobox, a Chennai based start-up which works on child development has been on the wheels due to its alleged trade mark issue with Google and Amazon.
It is interesting to note that Amazon showed certain unrelated links on their site when Flintobox is put on the search box of Amazon. Now this triggered a conflict with Flintobox on one side and Google and Amazon on the other. Flintobox reported trade mark infringement against Google and Amazon as this is creating confusion among the public. Amazon’s use of adwords shows Flintobox’s registered trade mark directing the traffic away from Flintobox.
Though Amazon has ceased from using the advertisements portraying products of Flintobox, but still any search of Flintobox on the website of Amazon shows unrelated brands of Flintobox. This started with the advertisement of keywords related to Flintobox started appearing on Amazon. Now the question arises if the appearance of Fintobox and Flinto box(with space) tantamount to infringement.
Google on instant correspondence removed the ads mentioning Flintobox but refused to remove Flinto Box as Flinto is not in isolation in the word mark and the entire name id Flintobox. It is strange that on one side Google does not allow abuse of adwords by any other site diverting the internet traffic, and Amazon’s advertisements are against Google’s adword policy and results into infringement.
The use of Flinto Box with space is likely to cause confusion and deception among the public even with average intelligence. In India we are yet to see similar other trade mark infringement cases where the big companies are on the drive to monopolize their market using the small start-ups in India which should be forbidden. Even Ola and Flipkart are looking for protection measures to prevent Amazon and Uber to monopolize their business in India.
If this does not stop then soon Indian start-ups would lose their existence and only the big giants will dominate the entire market diverting the traffic by such misuse of adword policies causing infringement which would remain unresolved.