Google appeals Indian ruling over its ads platform, citing consumer h…

India's Delhi High Court ruled that Google infringed trademark rights by allowing competitors to bid on brand names as advertising keywords, ordering damages of $31,600; Google is appealing, arguing the ruling diverges from global practice and will harm consumers and competition. If India's court ruling sticks, Google's keyword auction model breaks in a $4.1bn ad market—and your competitors can no longer buy your name. You've just won a moat, but only if you're an Indian brand with lawyers who move fast; every other SaaS seller in India needs to understand what ads cost when keyword-bidding on competitor names becomes illegal.