google [lower case]

They're a bit slow off the mark if they're only starting to complain about that now!

So what are they going to do sue every blogger who uses google as "verb" online? Seems to me like they are getting advice on how to win friends an influence people from the RIAA if that's the case.

They're technically within their rights under trademark law, but they have seriously weakened their position by letting the usage develop to such an extent without challenging it much, much earlier.

If you have a trademark to defend, early and often is better than too little, too late.

Most companies might wish to have this prob. They've established their name and service so well that people have really taken to using their trademark name as a verb.

Dicey situation to be in, though -- if the word becomes too commonly used as a verb in everyday speach, they could lose the right to protect the trademark -- anybody could use it then.

They have to be able to show in court that they've worked to enforce their trademark rights.

One clever alternative would be for them to send letters that state "you should not use our name in this way, but we'll issue you an individual license to use it in that manner."

Most companies would kill for that type of branding, and here they are trying to get it squashed.

More PR....

You robbed my story - But I still want my finders-fee.

ThePost

I am sometimes amazed at how this company got to where they did with some of the dumbest decisions I have ever witnessed in my life. I can't think of one other company in the world that would have a problem with their name being branded like this.

Don't blame this on the marketing guys or even the folks at the top. The lawyers have told them, quite accurately, that either they defend their trademark or they lose it. Trademarks, unlike copyright or patent, can last forever, not just for a period of time set by a statute, but the catch is that you have to both be using the trademark actively and defending it against infringement.

Given that the trademark already is one of the most valuable in the world, the obvious business decision is to defend it. They won't be able to stop people from using Google as a verb, but they will be able to show that they have worked vigorously to protect their trademark.

Anyone who has a lower tier search engine has a great link bait opportunity here, albeit at some risk to their own trademark. Just issue a press release offering to let people use their brand as the short hand for discovering everything about anyone online.