Interflora is taking legal action against Marks & Spencer (M&S) over allegations that the supermarket chain has bought its brand name as a keyword search on Google AdWords.

The florist is accusing M&S and online florist Flowers Direct of bidding on the word “Interflora” and sponsoring mis-spelt occurrences of the brand name on AdWords to lure customers to their web sites.

M&S is said to be “extremely surprised” by Interflora’s decision to sue and claims that such tactics are “industry-wide” and “not unlawful”.

But Interflora will not tolerate abuse of its trademark nor competitors taking advantage of it and infringing its rights, said the firm’s marketing director, Michael Barringer.

“Interflora has been careful to protect its most valuable asset - its brand. This action represents only the beginning of a broader strategy to defend our mark against any infringers,” he said.