Internet keyword and search engine advertising is one of the hot topics in trademark law, with cases coming out on both sides of the issue.  Here are some legal articles, cases and other materials providing background and commentary on the issue. I will update this from time as additional relevant materials come to my attention and welcome your contributions.
 
UPDATE:
 
September 8, 2005: The parties report that the Google v. Geico case has settled.  More here.
 
August 8, 2005: Eastern District of Virginia issues written decision in Geico v. Google.  Click here for comments by Eric Goldman and copy of decision.
 
June 27, 2005:  Second Circuit reverses preliminary injunction issued against pop-up ads in 1-800 Contacts, Inc. WhenU.com, Inc.
 
March 30, 2005: Google's motion to dismiss American Blind claims denied.  Case proceeds on trademark infringement claim against Google's Adwords.
 
March 16 - The BBC reports that Google has lost its appeal of the case broung by Luteciel and Vaticum, and must now pay about $100,000 in damages.
 
February 4, 2005.  The Paris District Court ordered Google to pay $257,430 in a case brought by Louis Vitton against Google's keyword advertising system. Google says it will appeal.
 
December 15, 2004: Virginia District Court dismisses Geico's claim against Google based on use of trademark to trigger sponsored links.  Case will continue at a later date on Geico's claim against pop-up ads containing GEICO mark. NYT article reports here.
 
December 15 hearing transcript is available here.
 
December 1, 2004:Overture has settled its claim with Geico.  The case against Google is still scheduled to go to trial on December 13.  More here.
 
The Northern District of California heard argument in the case Google Inc. v. American Blind & Wallpaper Factory Inc., on September 17, 2004 on Google's motion to dismiss counterclaims that Google's sale of keywords violates trademark law.
 
Articles and Materials:
 
A Virginia District Court has allowed Geico's case against Google and Overture to proceed, as reported by Stefanie Olsen in her story for CNET News.com entitled "Geico gets green light to sue Google, Overture." Geico filed suit in May, claiming that the defendants infringe its trademark rights by selling ads linked to keyword search results. 
 
 More on the Geico case by Paul Roberts at PCWORLD.COM. Some argue that search engine keyword sales can be good for trademark owners here in article by Ross Fadner in Media Daily News.
 
 
Palizzi, Internet Advertising and The Current (and Confusing) State of the Doctrine of Initial Interest Confusion, ABA Intellectual Property Litigation, Spring 2004
 
Cases
 
Geico v. Google Inc., No. 1:04cv507 (E.D. Va. 2004).
 
Playboy Enterprises, Inc. v. Netscape Communications Corp., 354 F.3d 1020 (9th Cir. 2004)
 
Google Inc. v. American Blind & Wallpaper Factory, Inc., Civil Case No. 5:03-05340 (N.D. Cal. 2003)(pending)
 
U-Haul International, Inc. v. WhenU.com, Inc., 279 F. Supp.2d 723 (E.D. Va. 2003)
 
Wells Fargo & Co. v. WhenU.com, Inc., (E.D. Mich, 2003)
 
1-800 Contacts, Inc. v. WhenU.com, Inc., (S.D.N.Y. 2003)
 
Bayer Corp. v. Custom School Frames, LLC, 259 F. Supp. 2d 503 (E.D. La. 2003)
 
Bernina, Inc. v. Fashion Fabrics Int'l, Inc., 57 U.S.P.Q.2d 1881 (N.D. Ill. 2001)
 
Playboy Enterprises, Inc. v. Netscape Communications Corp., 55 F. Supp. 2d 1070 (C.D. Cal. 1999)
 
International
 
Société Viaticum et Société Luteciel contre Société Google France, Tribunal de Grande Instance de Nanterre, 2i me chambre, 13 octobre 2003.
 
(compiled 9/2/04)
 
Added July 15, 2005:
 
Thanks to Eric Goldman from Marquette University Law School (http://blog.ericgoldman.org), who sends these suggestions:
This email suggests a few resources that you might consider for http://guidingrights.blogcollective.com/blog/_archives/2004/9/3/135068.html
 
 
Some articles that you might include
 
 
FWIW, I've blogged on several keyword cases.  Most recently, I critiqued the 1800 Contacts case.  http://blog.ericgoldman.org/archives/2005/06/important_2d_ci.htm