The ACCC has announced that The Trading Post, which publishes classified advertising in print and online, has amended its marketing practices to stop linking its autotrader website to the name of a competitor through Google adwords.

Stickybeek Australia Pty Ltd complained to the ACCC that the Trading Post was misleading internet users into believing it was associated with Stickybeek’s business.

Stickybeek alleged the Trading Post had used a sponsored link to the Stickybeek name on the Google website to ensure that a link to the Trading Post’s autotrader website appeared adjacent to the search results when internet users entered Stickybeek as a search term.

The Trading Post agreed to stop using competitors’ names and trademarks in sponsored links on the internet, although it did not admit that its conduct was misleading under the Act.

Last year Axa sued Google in France for selling links to its name.

Other pending lawsuits

UPDATE 13 July 2007: ACCC sues Google and Trading Post