Google loses Gmail name in Europe
Posted: Fri Feb 02, 2007 10:36 pm
s: http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=37357A GERMAN business man has won his long battle with the search outfit Google over the use of the name Gmail.
According to Ars Technica, Daniel Giersch has just announced that his company received a positive ruling from the Harmonisation Office supporting his claim that "Gmail" and his own "G-mail" are confusingly similar.
G-mail is an outfit that provides a "gmail.de" email address, but also allows a "hybrid mail" system in which documents can be sent electronically, printed out by the company, and delivered in paper format to local addresses.
So far Giersch had kicked Google out of Germany with his trademark complaint and hoped to get a similar ruling from the EU.
Giersch said he was relieved the whole thing was over as he found Google's actions "very threatening, very aggressive and very unfaithful, and very evil."
He claims the company once offered him $250,000 to go away but it now looks like the outfit will have to run something called "Google Mail" throughout Europe.
i wonder would all the gmail e-mail addresses people registered in germany have to be sn@googlemail.de now. good for him standing up to google and winning his hase instead of just shutting down and takind the 250 000 dollers.