Google

[Net-Tyme]

Didn't Xerox try this? And failed?

[Baker]

Like everyone else said, every company would love to be in the position of Google where your site/product/service is a household name.

Funny the things companies worry about.

[Solecord]

I think they'd only have to sue one or two and have those be successful for others to simply follow suit and stop its usage.

[Grim]

The news station I listen to in the morning touched briefly on this. According to them, seeing it is a household name, that the media would never stop using it.

Can they actually sue enough companies to actually stop them from using it?

[Bank]

I cant wait until the GNAA gets a hold of this : D

[Solecord]

This was discussed on slashdot... here's a good post from there explaining the reasoning Google has made this declaration:

I think the reasoning behind this is that Google is attempting to preemptively stop any possible legal issues with their name. I mean, you run into issues when things are known by a brand name [everything2.com]. Take for instance Kleenex, Jell-O, Frisbee & Hoover. You know what all these are and there's a fairly good chance you've called an imposter brand the same name.

What I speculate Google is worried about is that the verb "googled" becomes generic for search as in "I googled it." And the law says you can't trademark something that is generically used. Essentially, if a case occurred with a rival search engine putting "Just google it!" at the top of their page and the court said they could do that because 'google' is a generic term, then you would have precedent for millions of Google imposters seeking to make money off the Google name (since it just means search to the general public).

Google figures it already is a household name. The last thing they need is the media dumping 'google' as a verb in the papers because if they start putting it in headlines and stories--it's a much easier case for another company to claim it is part of the English language. Hell, it's already in two entries in the Oxford dictionary [searchenginewatch.com]. I think you could already argue a case to use the word "google" to mean search on your site.

[gamefreak]

XDXDXD lol to what Bank said about joao!

[Bank]

I guess all I have to say to google is wtf? You've become synonymous with search engines and The 90s in Internet, why not go for the gold and become, much like Frisbee, a word in itself.

I think that it's kinda foolish turning it down with all of the stupid "LOOK I USED THIS AS A VERB LOL" words out there. (Joao....)

[Grim]

Google has delacred that they do not want to be referred to as a verb. For example: I googled it.

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