Founders seize on Indian court ruling to revive criticism of Google’s ad business

The Delhi High Court ruled that Google infringed Hindware’s trademark by allowing rivals to bid on the brand name as an ad keyword.

The court awarded only nominal damages, but the decision has sparked broader criticism of keyword advertising practices in India.

Founders including Nithin Kamath and Sridhar Vembu say brand bidding lets competitors siphon traffic from established companies.

The ruling could lead to tighter scrutiny of Google Ads and force changes in how trademarked terms are sold to advertisers.