Arbitrators Says Groovle Not Confusingly Similar To Google

from the didn't-expect-that dept

Wed, Dec 30th 2009 8:20pm — Mike Masnick

In domain name arbitration disputes, it often seems like the big name almost always wins -- but apparently not always. Canadian search engine Groovle (which actually uses Google as its underlying technology) has won a domain name dispute with Google, as the panelists reviewing the dispute said that Groovle wasn't simple enough to confuse people, and people probably thought of the word "groovy" or "groove" more than Google when they saw Groovle. This really is a bit surprising, since it's pretty rare for the small players to win these sorts of disputes.

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Filed Under: domain names, trademark
Companies: google, groovle

23 Comments

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The Panty-Mike, 30 Dec 2009 @ 9:00pm

What if I started Tech Dirk? Blah blah blah.
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- The Antsy-Mike, 30 Dec 2009 @ 9:02pm
  
  Re:
  Stop copying me!
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  - The Fancy-Mike, 31 Dec 2009 @ 8:35am
    
    Re: Re:
    Or, you know, don't.
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sinsi (profile), 30 Dec 2009 @ 9:22pm

I can see a typo with 'goovle', but the 'r' is out of the way. My first thought was 'groovIe' not 'google'.
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Anonymous Coward, 30 Dec 2009 @ 10:10pm

Tekdirt:
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Techearth:
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Techmud:
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TechTerra
http://www.techterraorganics.com/

Better marshal the lawyers Mike.
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The Anti Mike, 30 Dec 2009 @ 10:11pm

I say Groovle IS confusingly similar to Google! After all, I am stupid, so how am I supposed to tell them apart?
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- The Anti-Mike (profile), 30 Dec 2009 @ 10:22pm
  
  Re:
  What a moron.
  
  Mike, please fix techdirt. It is broken.
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  - The Anti Mike, 30 Dec 2009 @ 10:27pm
    
    Re: Re:
    Look, an impostor!
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    - Chargone (profile), 30 Dec 2009 @ 10:49pm
      
      Re: Re: Re:
      ... this looks like the opening of a Monty python sketch. it really does. (some variation on the witch scene from the Holy Grail)
      
      it's also easy to tell which ones are not written by the real Anti-Mike...
      
      they're either funny or make sense
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  - Anonymous Coward, 30 Dec 2009 @ 11:26pm
    
    Re: Re:
    If Mike doesn't want to make accounts work like you want them to, he won't - just stop using the website. If the public thinks it is wrong, they won't use their service. Quit scolding him like a child. It's his choice.
    
    Oh, hi there, Anti Mike the Clueless Hypocrite. Maybe if you change your username to that there will be less confusion.
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  - Anonymous Coward, 31 Dec 2009 @ 12:13am
    
    Re: Re:
    On the contrary, Techdirt is clearly working.
    
    The fact that you had to create your own personal profile shows just how well it works.
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    - The Anti-Mike (profile), 31 Dec 2009 @ 8:50am
      
      Re: Re: Re:
      Not really... but I don't expect you to understand.
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      - The Anti Mike, 31 Dec 2009 @ 10:14am
        
        Re: Re: Re: Re:
        Ah yes, the impostor uses the classic dodge.
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      - Anonymous Coward, 31 Dec 2009 @ 11:27am
        
        Re: Re: Re: Re:
        I understand perfectly. You have a problem with Morons in a Hurry not being able to tell who is the real deal.
        
        It's not TechDirt's fault that you aren't distinguishable from copycats.
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      - Marcus Carab (profile), 1 Jan 2010 @ 10:57am
        
        Re: Re: Re: Re:
        I couldn't help but notice that you did NOT use the "claim old comments" feature when you signed up for your account, which I assume is because you want to be able to pick and choose which things you will admit to having said in the past.
        [ link to this | view in chronology ]
  - doughless (profile), 31 Dec 2009 @ 11:29am
    
    Re: Re:
    Mike could probably fix the username thing, but then he'd probably be in violation of some patent that attempts to compare similar usernames so that "Im a moron" can't be registered when "I'm a moron" is already taken.
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DB, 31 Dec 2009 @ 6:41am

Ha Ha, But What About Google
Is there anyone who thinks that Google may has a potential problem with its name when people make it a verb and use it synonymous with "search the Internet"? Go up the Escalator with your Thermos and take an Aspirin after your Shredded Wheat?
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- Anonymous Coward, 31 Dec 2009 @ 8:15am
  
  Re: Ha Ha, But What About Google
  Actually, in Google's case, it's probably a good thing. The day people start saying they're going to go "Bing" something is when they have a problem.
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Anonymous Coward, 31 Dec 2009 @ 7:44am

Google is starting to behave questionably. I also notice how they put their googleupdater thing in the tasks directory so I that it starts up with my computer even though it's not on MsConfig. Kinda sneaky, IMO. Since when has Google resorted to litigation to eliminate the competition?

"This really is a bit surprising, since it's pretty rare for the small players to win these sorts of disputes."

Well, except, if it's a company that actually provides a decent product for a decent price and competes with evil rich corporations. Google generally isn't evil, and so courts will tend to rule against them (while they tend to rule in favor of EVIL big corporations), though suing for trademark infringement isn't like them.
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Steven (profile), 31 Dec 2009 @ 10:52am

Got it right
I think I have to agree with the ruling here and I would hope to see more ruling like it. While at a glance the word groovle might look similar to google it should take much more than that to strip the domain from a person or company. If you go to the groovle home page it is clearly different than google.
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hrrrmmm, 31 Dec 2009 @ 1:12pm

LOOK at your keyboard
i sense this was just a way to get hits form the mistakes of people actually going to google but hitting a 'v' instead of a 'g'. GOOGLE would have done better making that a case. Rather then the similarity.
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- Anonymous Coward, 31 Dec 2009 @ 1:22pm
  
  Re: LOOK at your keyboard
  The letter 'R' will be suing you for ignoring it in favor of other letters.
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  - Anonymous Coward, 31 Dec 2009 @ 2:09pm
    
    Re: Re: LOOK at your keyboard
    Ah, but the orientals ignore the letter R and substitute the letter L. A ACLU case awaiting
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