Yahoo bans trademark keyword bids

Cross this one off of your guerilla marketing to-do list.  According to CNet and other sources, Yahoo will prevent advertisers from bidding on competitor keywords starting March 1st.

My understanding, mostly derived from hearing Alan Rimm-Kaufman speak on the subject, is that current law is meant to prevent deceptive or misleading advertising - like if you placed a paid ad that was titled "Bentley" but led you to the Mercedes site instead.  The way Mazda and GM did it - and are still doing it when you query "pontiac" or "kermit" on google - seems perfectly legal.

Then again, I'm no lawyer, so don't take my word for it - check with someone who's got proper credentials.  Is it just a matter of time before users start tuning out search ads?

Tags: yahoo search, trademark, guerilla