Google to be Sued Over Name?

WK writes "Now that Google's IPO is running, the company is on the verge of being sued by the family of Professor Edward Kasner who invented the word 'Googol' to describe a very big number. The great-niece of Kasner who was 4 years old at the time her uncle died says that although Google has brought attention to the name, it has not brought attention to Kasner's work. Google was not using the concepts, but just capitalizing on the name."

Comments

How much money do they want?

[gowen]

Answer : write down a figure, then add a lot of zeros. *rimshot*

Thank you. I'll be here all week; don't forget to tip your server. Why not try the tuna?

Re:How much money do they want?

[scott1853]

Tip the server??? Do you know how much these rackmounts cost!!!

In other news

[Gothmolly]

Some dead Greek guy's relative sues MPAA over use of the word 'Pi' as a movie title.
Roman mathematician's descendents sue Dr. Evil over the use of the word "Million"
Parker Brothers sued over the name 'Mr. Green' in the popular "Clue" game by the guy who invented that word.

This post brought to you by the number 3(TM), the letter P(TM) and the color yellow(TM).

Gringo

[turgid]

Maybe google should change its name to gringo? You could go to www.heygringo.com to ask a question.

I am a gringo!

Re:Baaahhh....

[TheGavster]

I mean, Google's success *must* have been due to the name. I know that the relevant results and inoffensive advertising mean nothing to me in comparison to the fact that its called Google!

Re:Baaahhh....

[Anonymous Coward]

Well I remember as a child running through the Austrian snow one January and shouting Yahooooooooooooo! So I think I'll be finding myself a bod damned lawyer and suing the asses off those Yahoo! guys. Oh, am I gonna be rich!

Oh yeah, and you bastards from alta (la) vista should be quaking in your boots. I'm in my hummer right now.

Ahnolt.

Re:He didn't.

[Czmyt]

If anyone names their dot com company "hoinkel doinkel," my three-year-old son is going to sue their ass off!

Re:perhaps not

[gowen]

assume the company was named "Mickey Mouse Search" or "Star Trek Search"

Actually, Star Trek was the subject of the first lawsuit of this type, when Scottish mathematician John Napier sued over the phrase "Captain's Log"

Re:Rediculous

[lga]

Jesus must be spinning in his grave....
Well he might if he was still in it.

Re:Baaahhh....

[kidgenius]

I don't know....Microsoft has done a pretty good job at trademarking the word "Window",.... :)

In other news, houses now come w/ "clear glass openings" to see out.

Geekocracy

[Chemisor]

> I'm good and sick of this "lawyerocracy" we have here. I'd love to see a "geekocracy".

Surely, we must first point out the incalculable advantages of having a geekocracy. Our entire lives will be changed! Think of what will be different:

• Everyone will have 10gbps broadband.
  
• Knowledge of programming would be a prerequisite to high school graduation.
  
• Taxes will be submitted online in handcoded XML format.
  
• The legal system will be refactored to eliminate bloat, duplicate codes, and bugs, establishing the new SLS (Standard Legal System) worldwide.
  
• It would be a fedral crime to stuff a geek into a locker (punishable by a year of sex deprivation)
  
• Everyone would convert to the metric system.
  
• The calendar would be revised to eliminate all those pesky 12 and 60 factors.
  
• Everyone would start counting at 0.
  
• Normal working hours will be shifted to 4pm-4am.
  
• All products will be covered by GPL and would be available free of charge. If anyone wants to make money they would offer installation support, customization, or news services.
  
• Pizza will become the new national food.
  
• There would be endless debates on whether garbage collection is a good thing.
  
• All wars will result in complete assimilation. No civilization can resist our hordes of fusion tanks and leviathans.
  
• Killing monsters will become the national pastime.
  
• The ruling elite would have to be periodically reelected due to their inability to reproduce. This ensures that the government stays democratic.
  
• Natalie Portman will become the national symbol of hope. She will host the annual celebration of the national hot grits day.
  
• It will be a basic human right to disassemble stuff.
  
• Shorts and teeshirts will become formal attire.
  
• Linus Torvalds will be the president of the world.
  

Re:Geekocracy

[pommiekiwifruit]

Shorts and teeshirts will become formal attire.

In other words, everyone will have the right to bare arms.

Re:Baaahhh....

[LuxFX]

Google is successful? I could never tell whether or not it was a search engine, or a one with a hundred zeros behind it. It's just so confusing! So difficult to tell!