Skip to content

Menu

LexBlog, Inc. logo
CommunitySub-MenuPublishersChannelsProductsSub-MenuBlog ProBlog PlusBlog PremierMicrositeSyndication PortalsAboutContactResourcesSubscribeSupport
Join
Search
Close

1-800 Contacts Unlawfully Restricted Competitors’ Trademark Use in Search Engine Marketing

By Gary A. Kibel of Davis+Gilbert LLP & Marc J. Rachman of Davis+Gilbert LLP on February 13, 2019
Email this postTweet this postLike this postShare this post on LinkedIn

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recently decided that agreements reached by 1-800 Contacts, Inc. with a number of its competitors to settle claims that the competitors’ online search advertising infringed on 1-800 Contacts’ trademarks unlawfully restricted the competitors’ ability to engage in search engine marketing, to the detriment of both consumers and search engines.

The FTC’s Complaint

In August 2016, the FTC issued an administrative complaint against 1-800 Contacts, an online contact lens retailer, alleging that various settlement agreements it had reached with other online contact lens retailers unreasonably restrained both price competition in keyword search advertising auctions and the availability of truthful, non-misleading advertising in violation of Section 5 of the FTC Act.

The agreements required the parties, when bidding at search engine advertising auctions, to take steps to ensure their ads did not appear in response to searches for the other party’s trademark terms. In particular, the agreements included provisions that prohibited the parties from using the other party’s trademarks, URLs, and variations of marks as search advertising keywords. They also required the parties to employ “negative” keywords to prevent their ads from displaying whenever a search included (or, as stated in some of the agreements, contained) the other party’s trademarks – even in situations when the advertiser did not bid on the other party’s actual trademark and the ad appeared due to the search engine’s algorithm, determining that the ad was relevant and useful to consumers.

As asserted in the complaint, the agreements prevented the parties from disseminating ads that would have informed consumers that identical products were available at different and often lower prices, which harms competition. The complaint also alleged that 1-800 Contacts’ conduct undermined the efficiency of search advertising auctions, distorted the prices in those auctions by eliminating bidders, and degraded the quality of service offered by search engines, including the quality of search engine results pages displayed to users.

The FTC’s decision affirmed an October 2017 finding by an administrative law judge (ALJ) that the challenged agreements harmed consumers and competition in the market for the sale of contact lenses online and violated Section 5 of the FTC Act. The ALJ then issued an order (subject to certain carve-outs) barring 1-800 Contacts from agreeing with any marketer or seller of contact lens products to prohibit or limit participation in search advertising auctions (including prohibiting or restricting the use of keywords or requiring the use of negative keywords) or to prohibit or limit search advertising. The ALJ ordered 1-800 Contacts to cease enforcing existing agreements that were inconsistent with the terms of the order’s prohibitions.

1-800 Contacts appealed to the FTC, arguing that the agreements were justified as a way to protect the intellectual capital embedded in its trademarks.

The FTC’s Decision

The FTC upheld the ALJ’s ruling by a vote of 3-1-1, with one commissioner dissenting and one not participating. The FTC held that the challenged agreements unreasonably restrained trade and harmed consumers and competition for the online sale of contact lenses without valid offsetting procompetitive justifications. The FTC also determined that the agreements harmed competition in bidding for search engine key words, artificially reducing the prices that 1-800 Contacts paid and the quality of the search engine results delivered to consumers, without offsetting efficiencies.

In the FTC’s view, the agreements were, in essence, agreements between horizontal competitors to restrict the information provided by advertising to consumers when they searched for 1-800 Contacts’ trademark terms and URLs. Ultimately, the FTC reasoned, the effect of the advertising restrictions was to make information enabling consumer comparisons more difficult and costly to obtain.

The FTC also decided that the justifications put forth by 1-800 Contacts, including protection of its trademarks, could be achieved through less anticompetitive means, such as by barring competitors from using specific text alleged by 1-800 Contacts to cause confusion or by requiring competitors to clearly disclose their identity in their advertisements. Indeed, the FTC specifically said that it saw “no reason why a brief statement identifying the ad sponsor and/or disclaiming affiliation with 1-800 Contacts would be ineffective or unworkable.”

Moreover, the FTC found the challenged agreements harmed search engines because 1-800 Contacts and its online competitors agreed to refrain from bidding in particular search advertising auctions, such as when a consumer’s search was for 1-800 Contacts’ trademark terms.

Accordingly, the FTC concluded that the advertising restrictions in the challenged agreements constituted unfair methods of competition, in violation of Section 5 of the FTC Act, and it prohibited 1-800 Contacts from enforcing those provisions and from entering into similar agreements in the future.

Google’s Trademark Policies

This decision is particular relevant in light of Google’s trademark policies for paid search advertising. In the United States, Google will investigate a trademark owner’s complaint when their trademark is used by other parties in the text of the paid ads, but generally will allow anyone to bid on any trademarks, including a competitor’s trademarks, as a keyword without restrictions (their policies differ outside of the United States). This decision is partly the result of years of litigation over search engine marketing practices involving Google. However, this current FTC action involves disputes directly between competing advertisers.

The Bottom Line

The FTC has made clear that some common online advertising methods, such as bidding on a competitor’s trademark in search engine marketing, may not always be contracted away, especially when they result in restricting consumers’ access to competitive pricing information. Parties to intellectual property and online advertising disputes often enter into confidential settlements to resolve their claims. However, when considering such agreements, parties must now also consider the potential impact upon consumers.


Connect with Gary and Marc on LinkedIn. 

Photo of Gary A. Kibel of Davis+Gilbert LLP Gary A. Kibel of Davis+Gilbert LLP

For companies operating at the intersection of digital media, advertising, technology and consumer privacy, the legal landscape is rapidly evolving. Gary Kibel provides much-needed direction to clients involved in both emerging businesses and well-established companies engaging new technologies. While most of his clients…

For companies operating at the intersection of digital media, advertising, technology and consumer privacy, the legal landscape is rapidly evolving. Gary Kibel provides much-needed direction to clients involved in both emerging businesses and well-established companies engaging new technologies. While most of his clients are, broadly speaking, in the marketing industry, his deep knowledge of privacy and data security issues makes him a sought-after counselor to companies in the technology, e-commerce, financial services and employment sectors as well.

In the digital media space, where entire industries can rise and fall seemingly overnight, he helps his clients confidently navigate uncharted terrain. They count on him for guidance in complying with — and helping to shape — the best practices that must serve their industry in the absence of legal precedents. For more mature companies, he helps clients incorporate new concepts into existing infrastructures.

Much of Gary’s time is spent staying current in this fast-paced environment. Whether through his representation of key industry clients, his active involvement in trade associations or his recognized thought leadership, he is deeply immersed in the issues facing tech-forward companies. Clients call on him, literally every day, to provide crucial perspective on cutting-edge issues with enormous consequence to their business.

In the privacy space, where laws are rapidly evolving as well, Gary keeps his clients moving forward in a manner designed for compliance, taking care not to impede their progress. Part of his approach is to ensure that regulatory compliance, far from being a debilitating obstacle, can be turned to a strategic advantage by companies that can incorporate the right policies into their commercial platforms. For clients who may be targets of privacy complaints, he suggests timely and practical options, assuring that their disclosures and processes will be both comprehensive and well thought out.

Gary co-leads a team focused on the CCPA, GDPR, and other enacted and pending state and federal legislation, as well as self-regulatory regimes. In addition, he regularly advises clients regarding the burgeoning industry of CBD/cannabis marketing practices.

Read more about Gary A. Kibel of Davis+Gilbert LLPEmailGary's Linkedin Profile
Show more Show less
Photo of Marc J. Rachman of Davis+Gilbert LLP Marc J. Rachman of Davis+Gilbert LLP

Marc Rachman, a partner in the Litigation + Dispute Resolution and Intellectual Property + Media Practice Groups, focuses on intellectual property (IP) counseling and litigation, advertising disputes and challenges, and complex commercial disputes. Marc’s experience spans the full range of IP, including trademark…

Marc Rachman, a partner in the Litigation + Dispute Resolution and Intellectual Property + Media Practice Groups, focuses on intellectual property (IP) counseling and litigation, advertising disputes and challenges, and complex commercial disputes. Marc’s experience spans the full range of IP, including trademark, copyright, false advertising, rights of publicity, trade secret and patent infringement disputes. He helps clients of all sizes assess, protect and optimize the value of their intellectual property.

Insightful and pragmatic, with a deep knowledge of his clients’ businesses and industries, Marc gets to the root of a matter quickly with strategic insight and practical solutions. His experience as a media planner before pursuing his legal career gives him a unique perspective when advising on advertising and media matters. Marc represents industry-leading advertising and marketing, financial services, digital media and adtech businesses, world-renowned entertainers, small businesses, and technology startups, among others.

Marc works closely with clients to assert and defend IP infringement claims, provides pre-litigation and litigation avoidance counseling, and advises on the use of IP in advertising, marketing and promotions. He has an impressive record in prosecuting and defending cases, and his knowledge of the courts and the alternative dispute resolution process helps him guide clients in deciding when to fight and when to settle. He is exceptionally swift and effective in resolving IP matters in court, before the USPTO and its Trademark Trial and Appeal Board, and at the negotiating table.

Marc’s experience extends to copyright disputes concerning music, photo, pictorial, sculptural and literary works. He has also worked on trademark matters relating to word and design marks, trade dress, and nontraditional trademarks — including sounds and product designs — as well as celebrity images and personas. In recent years, he has been a driving force in developing and building the firm’s niche practice in defending graffiti art copyright infringement claims.

Marc has helped several celebrity clients address online reputation management issues. He also has extensive experience handling complex commercial disputes involving the enforcement of advertising agency-client agreements, digital advertising sales agreements, partnership dissolutions, employment terminations, and restrictive covenants and real estate leasing disputes.

Read more about Marc J. Rachman of Davis+Gilbert LLPEmailMarc's Linkedin Profile
Show more Show less
  • Posted in:
    Intellectual Property
  • Blog:
    ILN IP Insider
  • Organization:
    International Lawyers Network
  • Article: View Original Source

LexBlog, Inc. logo
Facebook LinkedIn Twitter RSS
Real Lawyers
99 Park Row
  • About LexBlog
  • Careers
  • Press
  • Contact LexBlog
  • Privacy Policy
  • Editorial Policy
  • Disclaimer
  • Terms of Service
  • RSS Terms of Service
  • Products
  • Blog Pro
  • Blog Plus
  • Blog Premier
  • Microsite
  • Syndication Portals
  • LexBlog Community
  • 1-800-913-0988
  • Submit a Request
  • Support Center
  • System Status
  • Resource Center

New to the Network

  • PatentNext
  • Tressler Insurance Law Blog
  • Tressler Employment Law Blog
  • Inside Global Tech
  • Proskauer Whistleblower Defense
Copyright © 2023, LexBlog, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Law blog design & platform by LexBlog LexBlog Logo