Seriously folks, Google is going all out to protect their brand name. A recent post over on the official Google blog gives us the rundown on how and when to use the word “Google”.
Here is their list of helpful examples:
Usage: ‘Google’ as noun referring to, well, us.
Example: “I just love Google, they’re soooo cute and cuddly and adorable and awesome!”
Our lawyers say: Good. Very, very good. There’s no question here that you’re referring to Google Inc. as a company. Use it widely, and hey, tell a friend.Usage: ‘Google’ as verb referring to searching for information on, um, Google.
Example: “I googled him on the well-known website Google.com and he seems pretty interesting.”
Our lawyers say: Well, we’re happy at least that it’s clear you mean searching on Google.com. As our friends at Merriam-Webster note, to “Google” means “to use the Google search engine to find information about (as a person) on the World Wide Web.”Usage: ‘Google’ as verb referring to searching for information via any conduit other than Google.
Example: “I googled him on Yahoo and he seems pretty interesting.”
Our lawyers say: Bad. Very, very bad. You can only “Google” on the Google search engine. If you absolutely must use one of our competitors, please feel free to “search” on Yahoo or any other search engine.
Maybe we need a new term for searching any major search engine: yahoogle
Usage: used as verb referring to searching for information via any search conduit.
Example: “I yahoogled him on Google, Yahoo, ASK and Windows Live (MSN) and he seems pretty interesting, boring, pathetic and outstanding.”
Our lawyers say: Lawyers? We don’t need no stinking lawyer!
OK, that was bad. Very, very bad.