Hello.. Just wondering, what if I chose to link to my site but used the anchor text as another company's name? Would this be illegal or have anything to do with a trademark infringement or anything? I am not sure...I know a few years ago there was something called Google bombing where all the SEO gurus tried to link to some site but kept anchor text as Google - is this illegal? Thanks for your help.
It depends on where you are. In the US, the 6th circuit ruled in 2006 that using competitor's trademarks in metatags is infringement. However, in the US it is not infringement to use competitor's trademarks as keywords in ad campaigns, well, sometimes. It depends on what circuit you live in. It also depends on how you use those trademarks. For example, you sell product x on your website so you use product x in your tags, anchor text, and ad campaigns. You might get sued but you would most likely win. However, if you sell product y which competes with product x but you use product x in your metatags to draw customers looking for x to your site to then sell them y, then you would probably lose on anchor text and metatags. You may or may not lose on ad campaign keywords in this case.
The company name isn't a trademark from what I can search on here: http://tess2.uspto.gov/bin/gate.exe?f=tess&state=31cmq2.1.1
Bluegrass is right for the most part. In the US there is some weirdness to the issue with rulings being all over the place. Eventually supreme court or congress will need to address the issues of illegal links. And because a company isn't a registered TM doesn't mean they don't have TM protection. You are obviously aware that the text you are using is a company doing business. All that being said...imho you shouldn't worry too much about it. You would unless causing great harm to the company..be given a C&D most likely first.