GMail in the UK no more!

[Steve]

A trademark dispute in the UK over the "GMail" name has resulted in Google changing the name of its free webmail service to Google Mail. All new signups will receive a "@googlemail.com" address.

We have been involved in a dispute regarding the Gmail trademark in the UK. Another company has claimed rights to the Gmail name. We have tried to resolve this dispute through negotiations, but our efforts have failed.

We are still working with the courts and trademark office to protect our ability to use the Gmail name, but in the meantime, we want you to have an email address you can rely on.

The Gmail Team is dedicated to offering the best email service to our users. Our email service stays the same no matter what the logo is or what follows the @ symbol. This change lets our team focus their time on continuing to bring you excellent service.

[Google Mail]

[Xaneden]

Well, I've noticed that no one can sign up to a new googlemail.com address if it is the same as an existing Gmail.com addres, so I'd say the likelihood that existing customers will have to change is fairly high.

[Kaine (AoD)]

thats ganna suck but im sure we will live! Free = trouble hehe

[Steve]

Originally Posted by Xcelsion

Well, I've noticed that no one can sign up to a new googlemail.com address if it is the same as an existing Gmail.com addres, so I'd say the likelihood that existing customers will have to change is fairly high.

Why? What about american users? It's all .com domains, not .co.uk isn't it?

[herulach]

Originally Posted by Steve

Why? What about american users? It's all .com domains, not .co.uk isn't it?

What he means is if someone had joe.bloggs@googlemail.com then someone else couldnt have joe.bloggs@gmail.com, cos any email to the same alias @gmail.com gets forwarded to the other account.

[psybear]

Originally Posted by PrivatePyle

Someone send an email to paulclift AT googlemail.com and ill report back if it gets to me on my @gmail account

???

Do it yourself...

[specofdust]

So we can thus assume that:

a: @googlemail works for previously/currently @google accounts

and

b: Stinky pete eat all my crackers

[Mike Fishcake]

I cacked myself when I read that - i thought it was about to say that they weren't allowing users from the UK or something :-/

[Dav0s]

so if i interpret correctly.....

they will have to call the company googlemail, but i dont see why they have to chnge the domain of email addresses....

domains are domains, everybody knows how litle rights you get with them. as long as they call the company googlemail, why cant you keep signing up @gmail.com??

[mike_dowler]

it's not about what rights google has - it's about the rights that IIR (the other company involved) has. If/when IIR get to register Gmail as their trademark (which shouldn't be a problem), then google would infringe if they carried on using the gmail.com address in the UK