BBC Article on Google Brand Protection

Google uses legal force to stop "google" entering the language...

[vincevincevince]

Here's the article:

[news.bbc.co.uk...]

My personal take is that Google are far too big for the word to lose the association with www.google.com. Hoover were the only major brand at the time of proliferation, which is why subsequent major brands were labeled as hoovers. The fact that there are many many search engines today means that Google will not come to refer to searching, but only to searching using the Google engine.

[Terrier]

I would have thought it is the ultimate in branding. Oh what a blissful problem that would be to have!

[jimbeetle]

Article is a bit out of date, looks like it was just rehashed for the UK market. The Google challenges "google" as a verb [webmasterworld.com] thread from February covers much of the same ground and, as always, with a bit more depth.

[vincevincevince]

This article has something to do with Robert Williams, the singer, it seems.

[dmorison]

How about "I've been Google'd out of business."

;)

[Dayo_UK]

Robert Williams the singer?

More like Robert (Robbie) Williams the Butlins Entertainer - OK people in the US wont get that..(do you have Butlins over there?)

Yes, I agree the article is a bit out of date, personally I dont think that Google as a verb (in the manner the article is suggesting) is that widely used in the UK, It is interesting to read the comments underneath the article though.

[1milehgh80210]

I wonder if the original "google" had problems like this LOL.

-Oldsters may remember Barney Google w/ the goo goo googly eyes...

[Richie]

I never knew 'Rollerblade' was a company...

[steve128]

Dayo_UK
"More like Robert (Robbie) Williams the Butlins Entertainer"

LOL, how many red coats do you know on £50 million a year.