Google to crack down on the misuse of its trademarked name DailyTech reported last month that Google was concerned over the use of its trademarked name in reference to general internet search. This concern was expressed after the word "google" popped up in the 11th edition of the Merriam-Webster dictionary. Now the company intends to crack down on the misuse of its name.
What has Google upset is people who use phrases like "I'm going to google it" or "I just googled his name on the Internet and found what I was looking for." "We think it's important to make the distinction between using the word 'Google' to describe using Google to search the Internet and using the word 'google' to generally describe searching the Internet. It has some serious trademark issues,” said a representative for Google.
An expert in the field of linguistics is sympathetic to Google's concerns in frustrations over the use of its name. Said Julie Coleman from the University of Leicester, "The prestige associated with a trademark is lost if people use it generically, so I do see Google's point. They also do lots more than just search, so maybe they're reluctant for their brand name to be restricted in this way." She goes on to say that despite Google's protests, they likely won't get very far in stopping the spread of "google" in everyday speech, "Normal people are using it in normal conversation and in writing, and they aren't likely to face legal proceedings."
“Resistance is futile.” There is no way possible that Google can stop the spread of words such as “googling” or “googled” in everyday speech. It’s already deeply rooted into our subconscious just like Kleenex or Band-Aid. Google may be able to get dictionaries to properly note the origins of its trademarked name (as the Oxford English Dictionary already does), but who goes to a dictionary to look up the definition of Google? Mostly likely, they’ll just “google it” instead.
