I must offer one contradictory point to your article, which is that some companies who have trademarked terms, have ONLY their trademark going for them. Consumers may click on their ads and be directed to un-navigable sites that neither answer consumer questions nor offer appropriate follow up for their inquiries.

Take the following case, albeit, this “gray” case: There are third party affiliate sites, who bid on trademarked terms, use DKI in their ads, but use benign language like “compare ’such & such’ with ’such & such’ and save”, but who also offers consumers a site with more information (i.e. unique content), more follow up (wholesale lead market/brokers), and a site that is easier to navigate (based on the perceived search engine coding preferences and consumer conversion rates), than the company who’s trademark off of which they’re profiting.

As long as the consumer is not misled.

Furthermore, I am also still stuck on the “brand name” search logic. I want auto insurance, so I search for “geico”, not because I want geico insurance, but because Geico is synonymous with online auto insurance…ultimately, I, the consumer, want the cheapest price, regardless of which brand name and/or lizard-friend is stuck in my head.

In the meantime, I’ve got to go grab a “starbucks” at peets and go add toner to the “xerox” machine.