It's May where I am.

Reply

Ah, this makes sense. I always wondered what the "ig" in the URL: google.com/ig stood for.

Reply

If Google is using someone's else's Trade-mark (either registered or not), the existing Trade-Mark owner can stop Google from using it.

That is the purpose of Trade-Mark law -- to prevent confusion in the market place and prevent others from passing off their goods as someone else's.

But you better have big pockets. Google will drag it out through the courts.

Just goes to show that the IP law really only benefits those with money. (i.e. Those corporations with $$ use IP law to put small companies out of business).

IP law rarely does NOTHING to help the average tech consumer. Often monopolies created by IP law (Trade-marks, Patents etc) do nothing put raise prices and limit availability of tech related goods.

Reply

Thank god for the confirmation I was flippin out last night until I saw the same info you posted here. Now that I know what it is, I kinda hate it. (But I am addicted to My Google Homepage)

Reply

Just someone else trying to hitch a ride on Apple's coattails. We have the iPex (a bra for god's sake); iShadow (yes, makeup! ... eye shadow, get it?); iThis and iThat.

Remember when the first imacs came out and with 6 months EVERYthing plactic was in candy colors?

Apple innovates, the world copies.

Reply

"If Google is using someone's else's Trade-mark (either registered or not), the existing Trade-Mark owner can stop Google from using it."

You cannot trademark the letter "i", I'm sorry to tell you.

Reply

#4 & #7: not to mention that the folks already using the "iGoogle" mark were already infringing on Google's trademark because it is deceptively similar.

Reply

The i stands for individualized, which can also be seen when visiting you google homepage @ google.com/ig (ig = individualized google).

Reply

I use google.com/ig for my homepage, and I didn't even realize they added the "i" there until it was brought up with this post. Heh.

Reply

I love seeing Google getting hip.

Reply

personally, i'm very sick of the "i" stuff. get rid of the lame cutesy stuff, it's soooo 90s.

Reply

@rp: "The Internet is serious business."

Reply

>You cannot trademark the letter "i", I'm sorry to tell you.

Nor the word "pod". So we can all call stuff iPod.

Hardly. The customized home page is branded with the word "iGoogle". If someone has a trademark for that word, then the fight is on, if they want to tangle with 1200 pound Googlerillas.

Uh, dis anyone notice that the Add a Tab feature is gone?

Reply

@ Kwahnoom:

I was wondering the same thing when I first started using the Google homepage. Now the mystery of "/ig" has been solved!

Reply

does anyone else have a problem on igoogle where if they click a link in one of the bars it thnks you're trying to move and won't let you open the link? in firefox that is.

Reply

iGoogle? Why? Do we really need another 'i' product. I'm even tired of Apple using it, thank the gods that it is Apple TV instead of iTV.

Oh, and regarding the Folger's, "Tastes as good as fresh perked"... Everyone knows that a percolator is the absolute worst way to prepare coffee, right?

Reply