Gmail is now Google Mail in the UK

[gazzae]

We are changing our service's name in the UK. Starting October 19, 2005, all new accounts will have @googlemail.com addresses. Don't worry, though †“ all messages are being sent and delivered as before

4. What if I'm a UK user who already has a Gmail address? Will that address ever change?
Unfortunately, we don't know. We would love to say that your address will always remain the same. But the trademark issue is still unsettled, and unfortunately, we cannot predict what the other party or the courts might do here. You can always use your same username with an @googlemail.com address to avoid this issue later on. But trust that we will do the best we can to make sure your email address won't ever have to change.

http://mail.google.com/mail/help/int...ooglemail.html

Is it just me or is the fact that the trademark contender is an 'investment research' outfit something to do with it? i.e. their research led them to anticipate Google?

However, a quick check at the UK Patents Office:

http://webdb4.patent.gov.uk/tm/text?...atusselected=A

Suggests that no registration for 'gmail' was made before 2004.

Ah - looking here http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/4354954.stm

After Google announced its Gmail plans in spring 2004, IIIR rushed to register the Gmail trademark with Ohim, the European Union's trademark office, and the US Patent and Trademark Office.

IIIR boss Shane Smith points to an independent valuation of the brand, compiled in December 2004 by Valuation Consulting Limited, which suggests a value of between $48m and $64m, although he says his company would have settled for much less.

Of course, if Google simply abandon Gmail, then IIIR can go whistle for that money and spend it instead fighting the German company also jumping on the bandwagon.

[Paul K]

http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/sh...29&postcount=9

[zoombini]

And we can't all rush & get googlemail accounts with new names that have been used on gmail either, pity I was really hoping to get a zoombini@gmail account

Originally Posted by zoombini

And we can't all rush & get googlemail accounts with new names that have been used on gmail either, pity I was really hoping to get a zoombini@gmail account

Thats quite good though, emails get forwarded to the @googlemail.com ones (and the other way around) it would be confusing to have the different people on both

[aliferste]

Surely that company should just accept whatever they are offered.....if they are offered millions then it is a lot better than the nowt if gmail changes to googlemail. I mean what else can they do with the term ?

[zoombini]

They should not be offered millions, they should in fact be fined for it, I thought that that soert of thing was deemed illegal many years ago?

[Cobbydaler]

Now back to gmail...

http://mail.google.com/support/bin/a...&answer=159001

[Horace]

Is a 5 year legitimate bump a record?