Geico Claims Google Loss Is A Victory

Surprises

from the black-is-white... dept

It appears that not only does Geico not understand trademark law, but they seem to have misinterpreted the legal ruling against them. While it’s pretty clear that the judge was throwing out the most important part of Geico’s claims, Geico put out a press release claiming the judge sided with them, and that Google ads that use Geico violate their trademark. Of course, that’s not what happened at all. The judge said ads based on the word Geico are no violation at all, and she’s still willing to hear the case on whether or not ads that contain the word Geico within the ad violate their trademark — but hasn’t decided that part yet. It’s unclear if this is a press release that shouldn’t have gone out the door, or if Geico really is trying to spin this loss into a win. So far, however, it appears the press is not convinced. Most press accounts have headlines along the lines of Google Triumphs, Ruling Favors Google, Google Wins, and Judge Rejects Geico Claim.