Google loses Gmail trademark case in Germany

Looks like Google will finally have to stop using the Gmail trademark in Germany. A German appellate court ruled against the company, says German venture capitalist Daniel Giersch, who brought the case against Google. The court is expected to provide a written ruling on July 4, according to Google and Giersch.

Giersch runs an electronic postal delivery business that goes by the name G-mail, which is short for "Giersch mail." Giersch says he only wants to use the trademark in Germany, Switzerland, Norway and Monaco.

A Swiss court also has ruled against Google.

Separately, Google had to rename its e-mail service Google Mail in the United Kingdom in 2005 after losing a trademark case there. Google's use of the trademark also is being challenged in Poland.

[TogetherinParis]

Germany rips off Google

We already have enough differences with Germany. Culture, <br />language, money, must the German courts insist on creating even <br />more barriers to trade and industry? Google may not have been <br />the very first with Gmail as moniker, but surely causing grief to the <br />the billions of people sure to be using Google's Gmail worldwide far <br />outweighs the local German cabal? Such disputes should be <br />settled, and settled quickly, by international trading organizations, <br />not by local yokel kangaroo courts in uber Gintesberg.

[Newspeak finder]

Germany correct

Interestingly US corporations do not rule in the EU.<br /><br />Anyone who wishes to trade in the EU is subject to EU laws. <br /><br />I am sure that the 'local yokels', as you so quaintly call them, <br />will continue to subject your corporations to the law, no matter <br />how much it distresses you - or them.<br /><br />Have a nice day .

[cricketjeff]

Terrible way to behave!

You register a trademark, you set up a business, you spend time and money promoting it and then you don't let some rich guy walk in a take it when he wants to!<br />How thoughtless is that! <br />It's not like a population of half that of the USA is something it is worth a company like Google thinking about when they set up a new service, they don't even speak English over there! <br />"Do no evil!" but then perhaps it isn't evil to destroy someone else's business because you couldn't be bothered to do a trademark search...

[wylbur]

too little too late Google

Hey, Google came along late and said we are so big we trump an <br />established trademark and brand. That's a pretty hard thing to do <br />and would pretty much make trademark law meaningless.<br /><br />Google has been overly aggressive. Whatever happened with their <br />suit against Googles.com, the toddler supply site that predated <br />Google and had a trademark on Googles?