Important - Bidding On The Link Brand

**R Jones** · 26-08-04

Hi,

Having done some internal research on the use of affilites bidding on 'The Link' brand name on search engines, The Link have come to the decision to stop all affiliates bidding on their brand name.

This will come into effect next Wednesday 1st September. As of this date, could you please refrain from bidding on 'The Link'.

If you have any questions or concerns about this, please do let me know.

Kind Regards

Ricki

**Cockneyrhyme** · 26-08-04

inline with all the dixons group programmes so no surprises.....

if affiliates do bid on the brand name do you ensure they don't get commissions on those sales, there has been an affiliate bidding on the term Currys for a while now and you don't seem to worry about it!

not my problem but through you should know

**betterHalf** · 26-08-04

mmmm.... good point. No doubt the Currys chancer will get dropped by the network before the end of the day :-). As far as Link go, are they saying that if we bid on their brandname they DEFINITELY won't pay us? What about if we DON'T bid on their brand, will they DEFINITELY pay us??? :-) (sigh, 79% reversals...)

**Hayley Read** · 26-08-04

We are aware of affiliates bidding on the Currys trademark and when we do see this we put a request in to Google to stop the affiliate.

However occassionally affiliates slip through the net and as we publish the fact that affiliates are not allowed to bid on 'Currys' in our TD FAQ's and have spoken openly about it on the forums, we just have to hope that our affililiates respect our right to protect our brandname.

Happy to discuss further if you like so feel free to call, email or PM me

**Ross** · 26-08-04

Hi Hayley,

I'm into affiliate marketing but am not involved at all in your areas, just curious about something.

What is the difference between affiliates bidding on trademarked names and stores such as The Link advertising goods from Sony, Nokia etc. ?. If Sony were to say to you that you can sell their goods but you mustn't advertise their trademarked name i.e you could only sell Sony goods to people who came into your store, you would drop Sony like a stone. Shouldn't all of your affiliates drop your brands because you're placing unreasonable restrictions on them?

Just wondering

**Hayley Read** · 26-08-04

Hiya - you can bid on Currys electrical store, electrical products at Currys etc or even Sony camcorder and send your traffic to www.currys.co.uk but we have taken a well thought out decision to stop affiliates bidding on our brand name via search engines because we actually pay for search listings ourselves and in effect could be bidding against you for our list ranking and subsequent traffic. Legally we own the brand name and can therefore exercise the right to market it this way, we cannot stop you bidding on other associated words or misspellings and wouldnt want to as we fully appreciate our affiliate activity.

Hope this helps explain things a bit more!

**sgpratley** · 27-08-04

Can you explain the difference?

If I set up an electrical goods store in my high street called "Currys electrical store" your lawyers would be on it like vultures?

**Hayley Read** · 27-08-04

Not sure im following - thought we were talking about search terms?

**sgpratley** · 27-08-04

What I mean is, how can bidding on "Currys electrical store" not be infringing your brand?

Just curious before I stum up any cash to Google ;-)

**Hayley Read** · 27-08-04

Feel free to start your ppc campaign for Currys and Dixons just please dont bid on the trademarks
Currys
Dixons

Many thanks!

**Qui Gon Jinn** · 27-08-04

sgpratley

"Currys electrical store" is ok just dont bid on the singular word is what Hayley is suggesting

**Barry** · 27-08-04

So :-

currys electrical store
currys store
currys superstore
currys shop
currys web site
camera currys digital
currys electrical shop
currys television
currys electrical store uk
currys from kelly
auction currys site
currys electrical uk
currys electricals
currys electronic

are ok?

**Hayley Read** · 27-08-04

Yep all ok

Same for Dixons...

**sgpratley** · 27-08-04

Aaaah.

I was thinking of what you're allowed to put in the ad headline, not which search terms you can bid on. Interesting semantics for the corporate lawyers to mull over I fear.