According to an article in Independent Online, Google have sent a series of legal letters to media organisations warning them not to use the word “google” as a verb, meaning “to search the internet”. The search company is worried that wrong usage of its trademark will harm the brand. In the long run a brand could degenerate into a generic term if it becomes synonymous with a product category or a term (like aspirin, or “to xerox”). This is of course a very unwise decision PR wise by Google and will only result in massive badwill. [Link via Micropersuasion.]
If they are that fond of protecting the brand, they shouldn’t call themselves “Googlers” and their headquarters “the Googleplex”. If you mess around with your own brand, others will too.
In Sweden it’s called “googla”. Can we still use that?