Google Inc. and insurance company Geico have settled a lawsuit in which the latter company accused the search giant of trademark violations.In a terse statement, the companies said this week the US federal suit filed in Virginia by Geico “has been resolved to the mutual satisfaction of the parties”. The terms of the settlement were not disclosed, and the companies declined further comment.
Geico, based in Washington, D.C, claimed Google violated its trademark by selling its name as a keyword to the insurers’ competitors. Google, Mountain View, California, said the practice was lawful, arguing that it did not let advertisers use another company’s trademark in ad text, if the other company objected.