Supreme Court rejects MakeMyTrip plea against Google over trademark use in Booking.com ads

India's apex court dismissed MakeMyTrip's appeal challenging Google's use of its trademarks as keywords serving Booking.com ads, ruling users would not confuse the brands. The underlying IP infringement trial continues, leaving the keyword-bidding playbook intact for rival OTAs.

— FiledSat, 30 May, 2026, 02:53 IST·First seen Sat, 30 May, 2026, 02:52 IST·Source Moneycontrol · Results

What happened

Supreme Court dismissed MakeMyTrip's plea against Google over alleged misuse of its trademarks as keywords in Google Ads displaying Booking.com links. Court

Why this matters

The ruling shifts brand-defense leverage away from incumbents, making proprietary loyalty assets and direct-traffic channels more valuable acquisition targets than trademark portfolios alone.

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