The Next Web

Is Google giving Gmail back to the UK? (UPDATE: Yes, it is)

By Martin Bryant
September 21, 2009
• Tweet This
• Tip Techmeme
• Submit to Hackernews

Share


Comments

Is Google giving Gmail back to the UK? (UPDATE: Yes, it is)Google Mail

UPDATED: See below.

Four years ago, in October 2005, Google voluntarily renamed its Gmail service as ‘Google Mail’ in the UK. This was to avoid a trademark dispute with a British company called Independent International Investment Research.

UK users have got used to signing up for @googlemail.com email addresses and seeing the GoogleMail logo all over gmail.com Today in the UK I logged into my Gmail account and something was different – I’ve got the Gmail logo back! Only last night I was a Google Mail user but now I’m back in the Gmail club.

I’m not the only one. A quick Twitter search reveals a handful of other people over the past week reporting their account has changed back to Gmail but reports have increased in the past few hours.

So, what’s happening? The options as I see it are:

  • Google has come to an agreement with Independent International Investment Research
  • Google lawyers have decided Independent International Investment Research aren’t much of a threat and they’ve decided there’s no danger in reverting to the Gmail name. Unlike a similar dispute in Germany, where Google lost the Gmail trademark, there has been no court case in the UK.
  • There’s some sort of glitch in the system and the UK will be back to Google Mail soon. There is some evidence to suggest that this is possible. Not all UK users have changed over to the new name and when I log out of my account I still see the ‘Google Mail’ log in screen.

Fingers crossed UK users will all be back calling Gmail by its proper name soon. We’ll keep you updated as we hear more.

UPDATE:

Google has told The Financial Times: “We reached a settlement and are once again able to offer @gmail.com addresses in the UK. The product name will change in all UK inboxes within the upcoming months. This will not change users’ experience and Gmail will continue to offer the same product features as Google Mail.”


  • Interesting observation! Have been quoting @gmail.com address myself to people and will be nice to have this 'endorsed' after so many years.

  • It’s great to be American.


    This comment was originally posted on FriendFeed

  • two words for you. Health Care :P
  • ryan
    Exactly. Thank god for ours where consumers in charge and not bureaucrats.
  • Rowel
    Yes, great for those who do have insurance. Not so wonderful for those who do not. In the UK, the overall standards may be lower, but everyone has access; no-one is ever told they are not covered.
  • Did you check it with others? My British contacts say they've still got the Googlemail logo...?
  • Yes, as I wrote in the post others are reporting the same thing as me although many people are still on Google Mail.
  • I just logged into my Gmail to see and it does say "Gmail" in the top left, but it's been so long that I don't remember it saying "Google Mail".

    How does Google determine whether it's Gmail or Google Mail? Based on IP or the URL? I tried different ways to get to googlemail.com and it just redirects to mail.google.com.
  • Gaurav - It's IP based. the URL is always mail.google.com
  • Thank goodness I was quick and got a Gmail account instead of the ugly GoogleMail account, so I've never seen this logo or had an @googlemail.com address. :-)
  • Really Kol? All UK users have been seeing the Google Mail logo since August 2005. I got my account in March 2005 and the logo I saw changed over in October that year. You should have seen the Google Mail logo even though you were using a Gmail address.
  • Sorry, since October 2005, not August.
  • I'm on the Googlemail logo etc - but I was always under the impression they were pretty much interchangeable when it came to actually sending mail, so aside from a change of logo, there's not a bit advantage...
  • You can even use Gmail with your private/business/organization domain name instead of your current email server, if you need less the 50 accounts Google will let you use it for free.

    Bill
    www.PayWhatYouCan.Info
    Google Apps Support Service
  • Andy Bold
    I have to admit, I can't remember what the logo has been saying over the last few years, but I've definitely been rocking a UK based @gmail.com. I dimly recall seeing a question along the lines of "Hey, we think you're in the UK, want to switch to googlemail.com?" and ignoring it.

    Good news though - less confusing for Gmail users.
  • Brilliant! i got my Gmail address before the change to GooglemMil but am delighted that I can have a real Gmail address for business now as well!
  • Smail
    Hello, I'd like have a @googlemaiL.com e-mail, please give me the link of signing up...
  • Danny
    Is this actually happening? Its been months now and I still have googlemail. I can't even change the sender to gmail.
  • Yeah - very odd. It changed for a day, Google said it was changing over the next few months and now nothing. Weird.
blog comments powered by Disqus
 


TwitterCounter