Utah vs. Google: Trademark Debates Heat Up

The Utah State Legislature has passed a bill that would make it illegal to purchase keywords relating to a competitor’s product in order to show up alongside them in search results. The Trademark Protection Act has come under much public scrutiny, most notably by Google.

The Trademark Protection Act made its way quietly through the Utah legislature, not receiving so much as a whimper of opposition as Governor Jon Huntsman Jr. in signed it into law mid-March. Since then, however, the bill has created a firestorm of controversy comprising issues of keywords, trademark, and separation of powers.

The general purpose of the