---
title: Microsoft AdCenter blog on Competitive Bidding
description: Microsoft AdCenter blog on Competitive Bidding
---

# Microsoft AdCenter blog on Competitive Bidding

[David Naffziger](https://www.brandverity.com/blog/author/david-naffziger) Nov 16, 2008

One of the things that I forgot to mention in [my second talk](https://blog.brandverity.com/135/pubcon-session-trademark-monitoring/) at PubCon was that the search engines will provide you very little trademark defense if your trademark utilizes a generic term. Microsoft provides a [good overview of their trademark policies](http://adcentercommunity.com/blogs/advertiser/archive/2008/11/11/when-competitors-are-bidding-on-your-trademarked-terms-and-what-you-can-do-about-it.aspx) on a recent post on the AdCenter blog. Note this section:

> **Is the term in question a “dictionary” term?**  
>  For example, if I own a window washing company and I’m bidding on terms having to do with “windows”, doing so does not put me in violation of Microsoft’s trademark for their operating systems.

Another in a long list of reasons why you should select brand names that are distinct.

 Topics: [paid search](https://www.brandverity.com/blog/topic/paid-search), [Events](https://www.brandverity.com/blog/topic/events), [Trademark and Law](https://www.brandverity.com/blog/topic/trademark-and-law)

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