I maintain a Chrome / Firefox extension called “LinkedIn Jobs Filterer” which makes it easier to filter job search results in LinkedIn.
My extension was just taken down from the Chrome Web Store because “enftracer.ai” (which is actually apprently tracer.ai), claiming to be acting on behalf of LinkedIn, notified Google that my use of LinkedIn’s name in my extension listing infringes on LinkedIn’s trademark.
It totally doesn’t, it’s nominative fair use.
The notice I got from Google says my only recourse is to deal with enftracer.ai. But enftracer.ai has no incentive to listen to me, and seeing as how this is a free, open-source extension that I make zero dollars from, I cannot afford to pay lawyers to fight with them.
I am finding it hard to understand how this system is not rife for abuse. Like, anyone can file a bogus trademark infringement claim with Google, and Google will just automatically accept that claim and then tell the victim their only recourse is to take it up with the complainant? That doesn’t make any sense.
If you have any suggestions for how I can get this cleared up and get this extension’s listing republished in the Chrome Web Store so that others can continue to benefit from it, please comment below or email me.
