Print
Going up against Google over a domain name dispute is like facing the Boston Celtics in the NBA championship. In other words, there's a good chance you're going to lose. Out of the 65 domain name disputes Google has filed to date, it has only lost twice, the most recent coming today.
The latest dispute involved Groovle.com, which Google claims is "confusingly similar" to its own trademark. The was was brought forward to the National Arbitration Forum, an international arbitration service accredited by ICANN and trusted to provide resolution services for domain name disputes around the globe. Only this time, Google's track record for winning these sort of disputes provided false hope for the search giant.
"We were stunned when Google launched the domain name dispute as we have great respect for Google and have always had a good relationship with them," said Ryan Fitzgibbon, one of the two Canadian co-founders of Groovle.com. Jacob Fuller, the other co-founder, added that "Google never had anything to fear from our web site. The arbitrators' decision that the two domain names are sufficiently different should put Google at ease and we look forward to a renewed positive relationship with Google."
We imagine Google is probably stunned too, because not one of the three person panel ruled in the search giant's favor.
Image Credit: Flickr Joe Gratz
Comments are closed on this article
jihnn
December 30, 2009 at 5:25pm
wtf you guys if i name a website and actually use two "oo" together that means that google can jump my butt!!!
unless you just can't read, sometimes i wonder, you really can not mistake GROOVIE for GOOGLE or should google have the right to get all names with the dreaded "oo" banned.
i do not think so...
now to launch my new website "DOODLE" where i will get rich and famous.....
Tenhawk
December 31, 2009 at 1:25pm
Dude, did you GO to the site? It's a search engine that looks like, wait for it, google. The only thing that's different is they let you slap a big ass picture across your google page and call it 'new'.
I think that qualifies as being confusing, especially with the big 'powered by google' tags all over the place. Also the fact that it LEADS to google search results on google servers depending on which links you use...
If it were, say, a dance site or something unrelated I'd call bullshit on Google... this isn't.
Now, in fairness to Groovle... I doubt anyone will seriously mistake them for Google. Mostly cause no one will ever find the site, statistically speaking.
nekollx
December 30, 2009 at 5:35pm
its not Groovie its...now pay attention.
Groovle.com powered by google.com
Groovle.com
Google.com
------------------------------
Coming soon to Lulu.com --Tokusatsu Heroes--
Five teenagers, one alien ghost, a robot, and the fate of the world.
jihnn
December 31, 2009 at 5:25pm
i went to the groovie.com site...... duhhhh !!! if you didn't notice it is the GROOVIE.COM site not the google site
it was plain to me that it wasn't google, just a search site using the google search engine.... which google is ok with.
hmmmmm maybe ford motor co. can take all the other car manufactures to court because all the other cars have 4 wheels just like ford's do
nekollx
January 04, 2010 at 11:17am
GROOVLE.com not groovie
using google search, and using nearly identical fonting for the logo...
so lets see
similar logo
IDENTICAL search, yeah i can see how people could get confused.
------------------------------
Coming soon to Lulu.com --Tokusatsu Heroes--
Five teenagers, one alien ghost, a robot, and the fate of the world.
Tenhawk
December 30, 2009 at 2:09pm
Groovle is a search page that uses Google's own engine, I mean I know that they allow that, but it's understandable that they consider the two to be too close together. Basically the word Groovle STANDS for Groovy Google. I usually hate to side with the aggressor in these sort of things but come on...
nekollx
December 30, 2009 at 3:14pm
hell just look at their logo
gr(fancy O)(fancy O)vle
which is the same as google....
------------------------------
Coming soon to Lulu.com --Tokusatsu Heroes--
Five teenagers, one alien ghost, a robot, and the fate of the world.
nekollx
December 30, 2009 at 11:29am
I'm gonna side with gOOGle on this one, just reading this article alone had me confusing gROVle and gOOGle quite a bit.
------------------------------
Coming soon to Lulu.com --Tokusatsu Heroes--
Five teenagers, one alien ghost, a robot, and the fate of the world.
gunslnger
January 05, 2010 at 11:42pm
You'd have to be an idiot to confuse the two names, they're obviously different.
