Allowed keywords

Google has also come under fire for allowing AdWords advertisers to bid on trademarked keywords. In 2004, Google started allowing advertisers to bid on a wide variety of search terms in the US and Canada, including the trademarks of their competitors[14] and in May 2008 expanded this policy to the UK and Ireland. Advertisers are restricted from using other companies' trademarks in their advertisement text if the trademark has been registered with Google's Advertising Legal Support team. Google does, however, require certification to run regulated keywords, such as those related to pharmaceuticals keywords, and some keywords, such as those related to gambling and hacking, are not allowed at all. These restrictions may vary by location.[15] From June 2007, Google banned AdWords adverts for student essay writing services. While the move was welcomed by universities, there is no restriction on such sites appearing in the regular Google Search results.