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Google Sends Warning Letters Due to Concerns of Trademark Becoming Generic.

MOUNTAIN VIEW, August 16, 2006 -- Lawyers for Google have sent letters to media organizations threatening litigation for using Google's trademark as a verb.

Google, the California based company, has perceived members of the media using the term "google" as a verb meaning to perform an internet search. Fearing that the company's trademark may become generic, Google's lawyers sent letters of warning to members of the media to discourage such use.

A Google representaive said, "We think it's important to make the distinction between using the word Google to describe using Google to search the internet, and using the word Google to describe searching the internet. It has some serious trademark issues."

In June, the word "Google" was enetered in the Oxford English Dictionary. In July Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary enetered "to google" in their reference book. Additionally, the online service WordSpy, defines "google" as: "To search for information on the Web, particularly by using the Google search engine; to search the Web for information related to a new or potential girlfriend or boyfriend."