There've been a few discussions here about companies that bid at AdWords on searches for competitors' brand names and trademarks. Google's stance on the issue is that it's ok to make those bids on trademarked terms or words, unless the trademark holder specifically asks that bids on their mark not be allowed.

Apparently that's changing: Google plans to allow any bids on trademarked terms:

http://news.com.com/2100-1038_3-5190324.html

Good to know... Thanks JayC...

Interesting twist amidst the battle over gmail :D

This is pretty unethical, don't you think? Although it's an alternative way of doing business, my guess is that only "strange"(not to call them otherwise) companies do that.

I mean how would Google Inc. "feel", beeing the "Brand of the Year" for two consecutive years if this woul happen to them as well?