Never again, Mummy.

Late last year, Storus Corp sued Aroa for use of a trademarked term, "smart money clips," in AdWords ad copy.

The United States District Court for the Northern District of California has just ruled in Storus' favor (PDF), setting a precedent for future instances of supposed trademark violation in AdWords copy.

In defense of its violation, Aroa argued the use of the word "smart" in the phrase "smart money clips" is laudatory. The court nonetheless honored the Storus trademark.

According to Search Engine Land, using a competitor's trademark in ad copy is prohibited by most US-based search ad firms. This particular case generated concern because "no lawsuit was required to kill the ads."

In the not-too-distant past, Google has prevailed in lawsuits filed regarding use of trademark terms on Adwords.