Why Europeans Can't Have Gmail

To paraphrase Carl von Clausewitz, economic war is also politics by other means -- especially in the European Union.

As you may have read this week, the Trademark Agency of the European Union, located in Luxembourg, denied Google's bid for the right to use within the EU the name of its popular e-mail program, Gmail. It seems that there is a company in Germany, P1 Private, that offers a service that lets users send files and messages through a central e-mail system -- it's called G-Mail, for its founder Daniel Giersch. G-Mail was created in 2000, Gmail in 2004.

Despite Google's argument that the two services had little to do with one another, that the two logos look very different, and P1 Private's G-Mail logo also includes a tagline that translates as "... and the mail really takes off," the Trademark Agency ruled for P1, saying that there was too great a "likelihood of confusion." In doing so, the agency upheld a similar decision by a lower board in January.

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Comments

[S1m0n]

The day that the US goes to court in the EU arguing that european fast food restaurants should be able to use variatuions on "McDonald", or even "Mc-anything" is the day that I'll concede that Google has a point.

If they wanted to do business under the same name worldwide, they should have damn well done the research and picked a name no one else was using. Having a business in the US gives no one the right to steal any other company's trademarks in other markets.

[JaseAllen]

I agree. This is a simple trademark dispute, not a political showdown. A similar dispute exist between Apple, Inc (formally Apple Computer) and Apple Corps Ltd (owner of the Beetles music catalog) over the Apple name and using an apple as a logo. There is also a nearly 100 year old dispute between Anheuser-Busch (the US brewing company), and Budweiser Budvar (a brewery in a town formally known as Budweis, now known as České Budějovice in modern day Czech Republic)

Google is welcome to introduce email services to Europe under a different name.

[rh654]

Anyone who would confuse the two should step away from their computer, unplug it and return it as quickly as possible.

[mckinley]

The American invasion and occupation of Iraq was actually not again Islam, or Islamo-fascism or Arab Hegemony or whatever you want to call it --

but against the European Union.

To make sure that the US controlled the routing of Iraq's oil, so that it would not go the closer and economically cheaper and more reasonable route o Europe; to establish a Soviet-style "satellite state" threatening the borders of the EU...

And after all, is the new Iraqi cellular phone system we are building on the the worldwide, or the singularly American, system?

[Birdman]

Actually prior to the US invasion, China, and Russia had access to the oil in Iraq, I think France had a small contract as well, (probably why theese countries were against the invasion) but why confuse the issue with facts. As I understand it Britian now has a sizable chunk of the oil in Iraq last time i checked they were part of the EU, also the US still has no oil agreement from Iraq even though that was the only reason for the invasion. None of the reasons given out by Bushco, of course no one would have wanted us to enter a war with Iraq for oil, well major oil compnaies like BP, Standard Oil, Dutch Shell, and Exxon, all wanted it for sure. I'm sure most of the US woudl ahve bene against it many still do not want to accept that was the only reason for it. Worst part is it did not help as far as keeping prices down, it had the opposite effect.

[landmine]

Pretty sure all "EU" nations share same currency..­.the "EUro". Britain still uses the "Pound".

[WIpatriot]

How about Goo-mail?

[SavonarolaGirolamo]

(Voglio dire, mi lasciate rispondere in francese ma non in italiano?)

[TakeSake]

Well, being in Europe, they could call it Email!

[Bart33]

You win. :P

[SavonarolaGirolamo]

I don't understand. I got my first gmail account in 1476, in my second year as a Dominican monk. I could not have kept in touch with both hell and heaven without my electronic mail.

Capito?

;)

[joebaggadonuts]

So buy the little company already.

[wickedzeus]

loved it...

[Meok]

So is Google saying that they would agree if someone started a company in Europe called Goo-Gle with a different logo and tag line?
That argument is laughable. If you don't believe it try and see what Google's lawyers say.