If a competitor has bid on your trademark as a keyword in Google Ads, you have two separate routes, and they carry different weight. As of 2026, Google's current policy does not restrict the use of a trademark as a keyword; a Google Ads trademark complaint mainly serves to stop your trademark from being used in ad text. Keyword use itself is a matter not for the platform but for the Industrial Property Law No. 6769 (SMK), and it is dealt with through a cease-and-desist letter and litigation.
Below, we separate the two uses, explain what Google does and does not restrict, what the SMK says, and what you can do step by step. For the general framework of infringement, see our article on the acts that count as infringement.
The Difference Between a Keyword and Ad Text
The two uses differ, with different outcomes on the platform and under the law. A keyword is the term an advertiser picks to decide which searches trigger its ad; the user never sees it. Ad text is the part the user sees: the headline, the description and the display URL.
In practice, you will run into three situations:
- Keyword only: A user searches for your trademark and the competitor shows an ad under its own name and with its own text. Your trademark does not appear in the text.
- Trademark in the ad text: Your trademark appears in the competitor's headline or description (such as "Try us instead of X" or "X official sales").
- A setup that causes confusion: The text, images or landing page give the user the impression that the ad comes from you or is connected with you.
The risk, and the route to take, escalate in that order. Identifying your situation correctly is the first step to avoiding a pointless complaint.
What Does the Google Ads Trademarks Policy Say as of 2026?
In short, Google's Trademarks policy says: on the trademark owner's complaint, Google reviews and, where necessary, restricts use of the trademark in ads; use as a keyword, however, is not restricted. The binding version of the policy is the English text, and the summary below was checked against that text on September 30, 2026. The current text does not provide for a separate region-based review of keyword use.
Under the policy, the review rests on the following criteria:
- The trademark must appear in the ad. It is not enough for the trademark to appear only on the landing page.
- Not restricted: Use of the trademark as a keyword, and its appearance in the second-level domain of the ad's display URL.
- Restricted: Use of the trademark in a direct competitor's ad, and use of the trademark in a confusing, deceptive or misleading way.
- Exceptions: No restriction applies if the landing page is dedicated to selling the trademarked product or service, its components or compatible products (commercial information such as the way to buy and the price must be visible, and it must be clear that the site is a reseller), if the page's primary purpose is informational, or if the trademark is used in its ordinary dictionary meaning.
The complaint is filed through Google's legal content reporting flow, called "Report Content On Google", using the trademark option in the ads section. Google accepts complaints only against specific advertisers identified by URL, and only for the countries and industries in which the trademark owner shows its rights. If a restriction is imposed, it is generally applied on an ongoing basis to ads whose final URL uses the same second-level domain.
What Does the SMK Say About Keyword Use?
The SMK expressly regulates this online use; the platform's limit and the law's limit are not the same. SMK Art. 7(3)(d) lists the following use, provided it is in the course of trade, among the acts that may be prohibited: "use of an identical or similar sign on the internet, in a manner that creates a commercial effect, as a domain name, routing code, keyword or in a similar form, provided that the person using the sign has no right or legitimate connection concerning its use."
The provision has two key phrases. The condition of having "no right or legitimate connection" generally leaves out of scope people who have a genuine link to the trademark, for example an authorized dealer selling your product or a licensee. The phrase "in a manner that creates a commercial effect" requires the use to serve a commercial activity; paid search ads usually have that character.
The provision alone does not make every keyword use an infringement. A prohibition depends on the conditions in Art. 7(2): an identical sign for identical goods or services, a likelihood of confusion (including a likelihood of association), or, for well-known trademarks, unfair advantage taken of, or detriment caused to, the mark's reputation. For search ads, the core of this assessment is: can an average user easily tell who the ad comes from and whether it is connected with the trademark owner?
Subparagraph (f) of the same article also lists use of the sign in unlawful comparative advertising among the acts that may be prohibited. A competitor that mentions your trademark in its ad text to make a misleading or disparaging comparison may fall under this subparagraph. On the other hand, Art. 7(5) lists honest statements about the kind, quality or intended purpose of goods, and in particular indicating the intended purpose of spare parts and accessories, among the uses the trademark owner cannot prevent.
The practical conclusion cuts both ways. Google not restricting a use does not mean the use complies with the SMK, and Google restricting an ad is no substitute for a court finding of infringement. Each case is assessed by looking at the ad text, the landing page and the relationship between the parties together.
Risk and the Right Route by Type of Use
The table below gives general direction; the facts of each case must be assessed separately.
| Type of use | Google's position | SMK risk | Right route |
|---|---|---|---|
| Keyword only, neutral text | Does not restrict | Low to medium; depends on the facts | Monitoring, your own brand campaign, a cease-and-desist letter if needed |
| Your trademark in the competitor's ad text | Restricts on complaint | Medium to high | Platform complaint, cease-and-desist letter |
| Text or page that misleads about the source | Restricts | High | Complaint, cease-and-desist letter, lawsuit and injunction |
| Authorized dealer or informational site | As a rule, does not restrict | Low, if nothing is misleading | Contract clause, dealer policy |
| Disparaging comparative advertising | Restricts if misleading | High (Art. 7(3)(f)) | Complaint, cease-and-desist letter, lawsuit |
Step by Step: From Spotting the Competitor's Ad to Going to Court
Order matters; a complaint or letter sent before you gather evidence can prompt the competitor to change the ad and cover its tracks.
- Record it. Note the search in which the ad appeared, the date, the time and the location; capture the full ad text, the display URL and the landing page on a screen recording that shows the date. If you have your own Google Ads account, the Ad Preview and Diagnosis tool lets you see search results without generating impression data. On Google's Ads Transparency Center, you can search for the advertiser by name or website and filter by date and location. In important cases, evidence preservation through a notary or the court should be considered.
- Check your own rights. Is your trademark registered in Turkey, is the owner the correct legal entity, and does the registration cover the goods or services the competitor offers? Google limits the complaint to the countries and industries in which you show your rights.
- File the platform complaint. For use in ad text, fill in the complaint form; include the advertiser's URL, the registration number, the scope and your records. A complaint about keyword use alone will not succeed; keep that for the legal route.
- Send a cease-and-desist letter. Send the competitor a letter explaining how the use amounts to infringement, based on SMK Art. 7(3)(d) and, where relevant, Art. 7(3)(f), limited to proportionate demands. For the content and the risks, see our guide to drafting a cease-and-desist letter.
- Consider a lawsuit and an injunction. If the use continues, you can ask the Civil Court of Intellectual and Industrial Property Rights for a declaration of infringement, an order to stop it and damages (SMK Art. 149). If you show that the infringement is ongoing, you can request a preliminary injunction (Art. 159) before or during the lawsuit.
What Happens After the Complaint?
If the complaint succeeds, Google restricts the use of your trademark in that advertiser's ad text; the keyword choice, however, may stay as it is. Under the policy, the restriction is generally applied on an ongoing basis to ads whose final URL uses the same second-level domain. If the competitor launches new ads with a different domain, you may need to report those ads again.
The restriction also has an appeal route for the other side: if the advertiser believes its ads were restricted by mistake, it can appeal to Google. So prepare the complaint file in full, assuming it may be reviewed again. The registration certificate or register record, the list showing the scope of the registration, dated captures of the ad, and information showing that the competitor is a direct competitor form the basis of the file.
Google has not published a time frame for resolving complaints. Where the ad is causing serious harm, it makes sense to start on the cease-and-desist letter without waiting for the platform. Search and social media ad platforms other than Google Ads have their own trademark policies; each is assessed separately under its own rules.
If your trademark is well known in Turkey, the competitor being in another sector does not by itself change the outcome. SMK Art. 7(2)(c) lists uses that take unfair advantage of a well-known mark's reputation or damage its distinctive character among the acts that may be prohibited, without requiring similarity of goods and services; however, the party claiming well-known status has to prove it.
If the competitor's ad also leads to a fake store or counterfeit products, the matter extends to marketplaces and e-commerce; in that case, run the steps for counterfeit product complaints on marketplaces in parallel.
A Fictional Example: Lunaria Kozmetik
A fictional example: Lunaria Kozmetik, whose "Lunaria" trademark is registered in Class 3 for cosmetic products, notices that users searching for its brand are being shown ads from its competitor "Veraz Doğal". There are two separate ads.
The first ad is tied only to the keyword "lunaria"; its headline reads "Veraz Doğal — Organic Skin Care". Google does not restrict this use. Lunaria records the ad, strengthens its own brand campaign and decides to monitor the use.
The second ad's headline, however, reads "Instead of Lunaria Serum, at Half the Price", and the landing page compares Lunaria's products in a disparaging table. Lunaria files a trademark complaint with Google, supported by dated screen recordings and its registration certificate; at the same time, it sends a cease-and-desist letter based on SMK Art. 7(3)(d) and 7(3)(f). Even if the complaint goes nowhere, the letter and the evidence file lay the groundwork for a possible lawsuit.
Common Mistakes
- Expecting the platform to act on keywords. The current policy does not restrict this use; waiting only costs time.
- Reporting an authorized dealer as if it were a competitor. Ads from a dealer that openly sells the genuine product fall under the exception; the issue is solved through the contract.
- Acting before gathering evidence. Ads change fast; after an unrecorded complaint or letter, you may have nothing left.
- Filing the complaint on behalf of someone with an unclear link to the rights. If an agency or an employee will handle the complaint, have ready an authorization document showing their relationship with the trademark owner on the register.
- Not checking the scope of the registration. If the competitor's sector is not in your list of goods and services, both the complaint and the lawsuit are weaker.
- Sending an overly aggressive cease-and-desist letter. Unfounded accusations give the other side grounds for an action for a declaration of non-infringement (Art. 154) or an unfair competition claim.
Measures You Can Take on Your Own Side
Often the best defense is your own visibility. A search campaign on your own brand makes it easier for your ad to appear first on brand searches, although no ad platform promises any ranking or result.
In addition:
- Check brand searches at regular intervals and from different locations; keep your findings in a dated table.
- Add clear rules to dealership and agency agreements on how the trademark may be used in ads.
- Register your main brand and product names in the relevant classes; a complaint based on an unregistered name often fails at the first stage.
- Monitor the social media and domain name side of your brand in the same routine; for usernames, see social media handles and trademark rights, and for domain names, the guide to domain name disputes.
To regularly catch similar applications on the register and uses in the market, a trademark watch service complements your ad monitoring.
When Do You Need Legal Support?
Where there is clear use of the trademark in ad text, most businesses can file the platform complaint themselves. If the competitor carries on despite the complaint, makes a misleading comparison or redirects to a fake sales page, or if you are considering legal action against keyword use alone, the evidence, the cease-and-desist letter and the litigation strategy need to be built together. Webx's legal protection service assesses these steps for your case; the outcome depends on the circumstances of the case and the evidence.
Sources
- Legislation Information System — Industrial Property Law No. 6769 (SMK) (Art. 7(2), 7(3)(d), 7(3)(f), 7(5); Art. 149, 154, 159)
- Google Ads — Trademarks policy (review criteria, exceptions, scope of complaints; checked 09/30/2026)
- Google — Report Content On Google (trademark complaint flow for ads)
- Google Ads Help — Ad Preview and Diagnosis tool (preview without generating impressions)
- Google — Ads Transparency Center (search ads by advertiser)
