Search engine Google has lost an appeal on 10 March 2005 against a French court order to change its advertisement practices. The case about the advertisement practice was instigated by the travel companies Luteciel SARL and Viaticum SA. Competitors bought the search terms 'bourse des vols' and 'bourse des voyages' (flight exchange and trip exchange) so that their advertisements would show next to the search results. The two companies successfully claimed they had exclusive trademark rights on these terms, and accused Google of something akin to counterfeiting. Google was ordered to pay 75.000 euro in damages and legal costs in first instance. In February 2005 Google lost a similar case against the French luxury goods company Moët Hennessy - Louis Vuitton. Another search engine, Yahoo, lost a similar case in January 2005 as well, when the French hotel chain Accor complained about advertisements from competitors using its hotel names.

Google is also facing a lawsuit from the French news agency AFP about its news services. On 19 March AFP filed a complaint at a Washington court claiming Google violates their copyrights by quoting the headlines, pictures and opening lines of their articles and claims 13.1 million euro in damages. On 22 March 2005 Google started to remove all references to AFP from its news services. According to Steve Langdon, a Google spokesman, "we allow publishers to opt out of Google News. Most, however, want to be included in Google News because they believe it's a benefit to them and their readers." It is unclear if this means AFP will withdraw the case.

In another French ruling about Internet the court of Nanterre decided on 14 March 2005 that a seamstress in Southeast France must hand over the domain www.milka.fr to U.S. food company Kraft Foods, vendor of chocolate with the brand name Milka. The seamstress, Milka Budimir, was accused of cybersquatting and can no longer use her own first name on the Internet, since "the brand name existed long before she was born".

Google France loses appeal in AdWords trademark dispute (17.03.2005)
http://www.infoworld.com/article/05/03/17/HNgooglefranceadwords_1.html

Complaint filed against Google by AFP (in English, 19.03.2005)
http://www.resourceshelf.com/legaldocs/afpvgoogle1.pdf

L'affaire Milka.fr couronne le droit des marques (15.03.2005)
http://www.rfi.fr/actufr/articles/063/article_34790.asp