Trademark & Copyright
Trademark and copyright issues in Google Ads concern different kinds of rights and different policy processes. A trademark restriction usually concerns how a brand is used in an ad. A copyright issue concerns protected material or access to that material. The wording of the notice determines which process is relevant.
This page is part of our Google Ads policy issues section within the Google Ads documentation. It explains the category and the information needed to identify the right next step.
Trademark and copyright are different categories
Google reviews trademark-owner complaints and may restrict use of a trademark in ads. Under its trademark policy, using a brand as a keyword is treated differently from using it in ad text. Some reseller, informational and descriptive uses are permitted when Google’s stated conditions are met.
Google’s copyright policy prohibits infringing uses and unauthorized access or distribution. Its policy includes certification for advertisers entitled to promote affected copyrighted content. A trademark authorization question and a copyright certification question should not be combined into one generic permissions request.
Identifying the affected element
For an internal review, start by recording where the material appears. Is it an ad headline, an image, a video, the business name, a downloadable file or content accessible through the destination? Save the policy notice alongside that location.
Then identify who owns the relevant rights and what permission the advertiser actually holds. A commercial relationship may explain why a brand appears on a page, but the review still needs the terms of that relationship and the precise use being made.
Reviewing brand use in ads
- Check whether the copy makes the advertiser’s role clear.
- Compare any claimed partnership or official status with the available documentation.
- Identify whether the ad promotes the advertiser’s own service, resale, compatible products or information.
- Record which ad and destination are affected by the restriction.
An illustrative review scenario is a replacement-parts seller whose headline could make visitors think they are contacting the original manufacturer. The useful question is whether the ad and destination accurately explain the seller’s role. This is a review example, not a ruling about a particular advertisement.
Reviewing copyrighted material
Create a permissions record for the affected material: its source, rights holder, intended advertising use, license terms and the relevant destination. For agencies, record who supplied the asset and who is responsible for confirming the permission.
A file being publicly accessible or supplied by a contractor is not, by itself, a permissions record. Keep the actual documentation so a later reviewer can connect the asset to the permission being relied on.
Choosing the relevant next step
Follow the process associated with the notice. A trademark restriction may have an appeal route in the account. For copyright matters, distinguish a certification request from a complaint-related process. Google’s copyright guidance explains separate requirements for DMCA counter-notifications; do not treat a routine ad edit as a substitute for that process.
This page explains the advertising-policy categories. A disputed ownership or infringement question needs the applicable rights and legal facts to be established before a formal statement is made.
Related policy checks
An ad can have valid permission to use material and still raise misleading representation concerns. A genuine product can also be subject to category restrictions. Review those separately rather than assuming that permission resolves every policy issue.
Maintain a dated record of the notice, affected material, permissions checked and action taken. Describe evidence accurately in any review request; do not claim an endorsement, license or certification that has not been established.
Related documentation
Detailed guides in this category
Official references
Reviewed against the official resources above on 19 October 2026. Webbnix is an independent publisher; Google makes policy and appeal decisions.
Related policy categories
Compare the following categories when the notice names more than one policy. A correction for one policy does not settle a separate issue.