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14 Aug 2006
Google has issued letters to media organisations asking them to refrain from using its name as a verb.
In order to "protect its trademark", and prevent it becoming a generic term, the search firm has sent letters to publishers advising them on its proper use.
Google's letter includes helpful examples of appropriate and inappropriate use of the company's trademark.
For example: 'I used Google to check out that guy I met at the party' is fine, but 'I googled that hottie' is not.
Similarly, it's OK to say: 'He ego-surfs on Google to see if he's listed in the results' but not 'He googles himself.'
The key distinction is whether Google is used to describe searching in a general, non-specific sense.
"With constant generic use, trademarks can lose their special status and their proper name capitalisation," said Google in the letter.
"It has happened to once-trademarked products including yo-yo, trampoline and nylon. Trademark lawyers call it 'genericide'.
"Google is a trademark identifying Google Inc's search technology and services. We know Google is fun to say, and of course it is great fun to use.
"And though we are flattered that people like our name, it is also our company's chief commercial asset. We want to ensure that people use it in a way that preserves its meaning and integrity."
Google was added as a verb to the Merriam-Webster dictionary at the beginning of last month with the definition: 'To use the Google search engine to obtain information about [a person or thing] on the world wide web.'
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Do you agree?
I agree!!! Google is a Search Engine
Google is a means to search on people, places and many other things that our minds can imagine. My father who knows little about computers uses the term similar phrases like 'I googled that hottie' When he and many other people use similar phrases they think of the search engine that they use. Not the monster search engine Google. The older generations are using the wrong terminology and we as their children and grandchildren need to correctly inform them of their misusage. That way when they tell us they searched for something we know exactly what they are talking about.
Posted by: T. R. 25 Dec 2006
Do you Hoover
Then why not Google, how many people use another companies vacuum cleaner and call it hovering, it can only be the same with searching on the web.
Posted by: Steve 11 Sep 2006
That's dumb...
I would never say "I googled soandso" if I used Alta Vista or something.
Posted by: Robyn 19 Aug 2006
Pretty Tough To Argue
that it's not a generic term when a dictionary has added it into their lexicon. That'd seem to be proof positive that it's *already* generic. I don't think that's a cat that can be put back into the proverbial bag.
Posted by: chris 16 Aug 2006
Stop googling, use something better!
Google is quite right. People should use less manipulative alternatives like Clusty and dmoz
Posted by: Corin-EU 16 Aug 2006
Don't agree!
Oh, come on. This is ridiculous. In a way, when you use 'Google' as a verb, it's advertising for them, because it shouts "I use Google as a search engine!" People are reminded of google every time they hear it. So why not? Doesn't make sense to me.
Posted by: Crystal 15 Aug 2006
...
Telling someone to google something, or to say you googled it or were in the act of googling meant that you weren't just searching for it, but you were searching for it with Google - in times past this meant you were likely to get superior results. Webpages that weren't returned highly using alternative search engines would be at the top of the page - thus someone might search for something and not find the page he was looking for - the guy in the know would then google for it. Rather than saying 'stop using altavista and try out Google you silly plonker' it was a lot easier and universally understood to tell someone to google it ;o
Posted by: p 15 Aug 2006
Rediculous
That's stupid. Really stupid. They should be proud so many people have latched onto their name in common use. Everytime says Google, they are advertising the google search engine! Who can complain at such free advertising? (If you are google) -- And as long as Google was originally a company, I don't see why it can't always maintain a capital G at the front. And it's much easier and faster to use the word google as a verb, rather than to say "I searced for X on google yesterday."
Posted by: david 15 Aug 2006
Totally agree
I totally agree... I know a lot of people who use googling.. Why cant they just say search??
Posted by: dragonskin29 14 Aug 2006
Spot on
google pioneered there technology and deserve credit. Would be a shame for people to forget what google stands for and start using the name because its "cool" rather than apprecating the service.
Posted by: stuart 14 Aug 2006
Nice try, no banana
LOL - Adobe tried the same thing a couple of years back. Got'em precisely nowhere - just about every designer on the planet still talks of 'photoshopping'. And how did I find this article? Yup - I googled it ;-)
Posted by: Jay Nicholls 14 Aug 2006
Nonsense
They should be proud that people use their trademark as a verb. No one likes to use seven words when one is sufficient: "used the google search engine to search" vs. "googled". It only becomes a generic term because google for most people has become the equivalent of searching on the internet. You cannot have that much success and keep the benefits all to yourself. Microsoft would not have as much success if they did not ignore millions of people copying their software either.
Posted by: henrik 14 Aug 2006
Barney Google Googley Eyes
Aw, come on. Google copped the word from old slang from at least the 1940s. Googley eyes came from the cartoonist's way of drawing the character. And "eyeballing" frequently was slangified to "googling" a girl or a great car. Come on, Google, where's your sense of history? Maybe you better have your lawyers look up the word "google" in a database that includes newspapers and comics since the beginning of print. P.S. Since when did it hurt to have your name become a household word?
Posted by: Jack Egan 14 Aug 2006
To google is only used for Google search
I think it is exaggerated and "to google" would never be used for other search engines. I think it was an honor for Google to use this term and the company lost a bit of my (and other's) sympathy with this statement.
Posted by: Steff 14 Aug 2006
Don't let Google win this battle
Attempts by commerical enterprises and other authorities to control and limit our use of language is only another form of thought control. This request made my Google, seeks only to generate more profits for itself. Why should I or anyone else care if Google's feelings are hurt?
Posted by: Jordan 14 Aug 2006