Can you have too much success?
Google seems to think so. Check on this entry from the Official Google Blog this past week.
Basically Google is worried that their trademark may get diluted because too many people are using the word Google “inappropriately”.
Sure trademark protection is an important issue. However their blog post that they used to start some conversation about the issue is incredibly condescending. Giving examples with “Our lawyers say:” is a move guaranteed to raise the ire of the very user who are so enthusiastic about using their products.
Kem Meyer hits the nail on the head with her post Don’t Tell Me How To Google.
All this time, Google, you made us think it was all about us… and we loved you for it. We changed the way we talk, surf and build sites because of you. But, this sounds like it’s all about you….and now my radar is up.
I guess Google must be disappointed with how much success they’ve achieved. Now they want to be sure their lawyers keep a lid on their branding.
Do you suppose they will actually be dumb enough to let their lawyers eventually sue someone who doesn’t follow their guidelines?
I don’t get it.
Ya gotta wonder what people are thinking sometimes. Who has the biggest sales, Kleenex or that off-brand kleenex, Q-tip or that off-brand q-tip, coke or that off-brand coke? Once your name hits common usage your brand is made for life.
If Yahoo complained about someone googling with their engine, I could understand it.
Yeah, Rick. I remember my Great-Grandmother always called a refrigerator a Frigidaire and now no one hardly even knows about the brand. There’s a company that apparently had that kind of brand penetration but lost it. The only reason I ever heard of the company was because of her.
Sure Google is much more than search these days. But even so Alexa still says Yahoo gets more traffic. If Yahoo gets more traffic but folks are saying things like they are “Googling on Yahoo” you would think that would mean nothing but good things as far as Google’s likelihood of catching up.
Personally, I think it’s absolutely ridiculous to complain about having a brand name that’s so recognised it’s become a verb. Whether people are using their name “inappropriately” or not shouldn’t matter – they’re using their name and that’s something that other brands would kill for.
I think that Google had lost it. But its good that they realised their mistake soon