Recent changes to Google's trademark bidding policy across Europe have reopened the conversation around the opportunities and threats for companies bidding against competitors' brands. Most interactive marketers have not yet responded, with no more than 4% bidding on competitors' brands; in fact, almost 40% fail even to bid on their own trademarks. To take advantage of this new opportunity, many types of marketers should bid on their competitors' keywords — including lesser-known brands, and well-known brands entering new product categories. Marketers should also use channel partners to protect their brands and avoid the potential threat created by these policies.