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Google Under Fire For Calling Their Language "Go"
Norsefire writes "Since releasing the 'Go' programming language on Tuesday, Google has been under fire for using the same name as another programming language that was first publicly documented in 2003. 'Go!' was created by Francis McCabe and Keith Clark. McCabe published a book about the language in 2007, and he is not happy. He told InformationWeek in an email: 'I do not have a trademark on my language. It was intended as a somewhat non-commercial language in the tradition of logic programming languages. It is in the tradition of languages like Prolog. In particular, my motivation was bringing some of the discipline of software engineering to logic programming.'"
It's actually pretty funny Google itself didn't see this coming. Results in Google for go programming language are about the existing Go! language and the main developers book about it.
In this case Google should really change the name since its been used in an existing programming language for years. But maybe they are:
"We recently became aware of the Go! issue and are now looking into the matter further," a company spokesperson said in an e-mail.
Two "Go"'s considered harmful.
I bet someone at Google will get fired soon...
Either 1 of 2 things may have happened:
1) They used Microsoft Bing to search for potential trademark violations
2) They were too lazy and didn't check at all.
No TM, no copy right? Why is this guy complaining?
to call a stop. Or a stop!
while $STOP; HAMMERTIME; end
Anybody want my mod points?
A couple academic papers too, dating back to 2003. No docs isn't that accurate.
Google should rename it Goo, or if that's taken then Gooo or Goooooooooo...
There's no IP.
There is copyright, patents and trademarks. This sounds like a trademark thing, so no need to confuse the issue.
This was reported by the author in Issue 9. There have been suggestions to rename the language to Issue 9 - I like it.
Given that it's the top hit for 'go programming language' on Google, if Google are unaware that it exists then it shows quite how insular they have become - obviously they didn't even think of checking whether anyone else had used the name.
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If Francis McCabe wanted to protect his work he had 6 years in which to do it. Either he's trying to close the barn door after the horses are gone or he's looking to try to get some sales for his book. They should have planned better.
It originates from the paper by Dijkstra where he argued GoTo statements should be banned. That resulted in many structured programming languages main stream computer science. But what is not known is that the same paper spawned a new set of less well known languages based on "COME FROM" statement to avoid the "GO TO" statement. The Go! (pronounced Go-Not) language belongs to this little known branch. It is completely and entirely different from the plain old Go language.
Dont get me started on the Japanese chess game Go.
sed -e 's/Chuck Norris/Rajnikant/g' joke > fact
Even without a registered trademark, I think they'd have a good case that Google is trying to pass off their new language as the original Go.
Actually, unregistered trademarks are valid, too. In North America, the trademark system is a "first to use" system, not a "first to file".
However, the original Go is not a commercial product, so there is no trademark issue. Google will likely consider changing the name just because it's stupid to create a new programming language and give it the same name as an existing one, but trademark won't enter into the discussion.
"You cannot simultaneously prevent and prepare for war." -- Albert Einstein
Perhaps Mr. McCabe should have trademarked the name???
Simply using the name in a commercial capacity is enough to get an unregistered trademark. However, the problem is that he is not selling the Go! programming language. If it's not a commercial entity, then trademark doesn't apply.
"You cannot simultaneously prevent and prepare for war." -- Albert Einstein
How would Google even know that a language called "Go" exists?
They would have to have some mechanism for searching the internet to do that.
This template was added 2009-11-12 14:22
They can call it Goog.
10 FILL MUG WITH COFFEE
20 DRINK COFFEE
30 GOTO 10
if Google are unaware that it exists then it shows quite how insular they have become - obviously they didn't even think of checking whether anyone else had used the name.
Hey it's not their fault. If only they had access to some sort of computer system that allowed one to quickly examine the internet, a "search engine" if you will, then they might have been able to catch this in time.
One has a bang (!) at the end, while the other doesn't.
Everybody knows the difference between C and C#
The claim has no basis.
They will have to call it GoToo!
This is why I name all my programming languages by UUID. In fact, look for my new book, Ed68c886-6390-4255-813f-48e61f6b0b06: The Definitive Guide to be published in the second quarter of next year!
org.slashdot.post.SignatureNotFoundException: ewg
DMCA is not an issue, since this is a question of trademark, not copyright.
It seems to me that the only way McCabe could be legally forced to change the name is if trademark law applied, but if trademark law applied, then the mark would be his, since trademark law is "first to use", not "first to file".
Legal questions aside, if Google keeps using the name, then McCabe will have to change his name not for legal reasons, but practical ones.
"You cannot simultaneously prevent and prepare for war." -- Albert Einstein
Excellent find,
I'm sure the author is relishing in the Streisand Effect right now.
How far down the page was Go! two days ago if you googled the name?
I wouldn't consider the mad hatter mad. Just reality impaired. He sure can make a mean cup of tea.
What is wrong with people who name new computer languages? Like it or not, google has become a defacto reference for coders. You can't remember the exact syntax of python string concatenation, Google it and see:
Results 1 - 10 of about 21,200 for python "string concatenation". (0.20 seconds)
And the relevant examples are bunched near the top of the first page. Now try the same for Go:
Results 1 - 10 of about 50,000 for Go "string concatenation". (0.20 seconds)
Of course none of them are relevant but you can see that Go coders are going to have a much worse Signal/Noise ratio.
The only thing I don't like about the processing language is its name:
Results 1 - 10 of about 45,900 for processing "string concatenation". (0.24 seconds)
Of course it come from a long history of google silly names like 'C'
Results 1 - 10 of about 84,300 for C "string concatenation". (0.09 seconds)
Microsoft wasn't very smart here: .net "string concatenation". (0.30 seconds)
Results 1 - 10 of about 157,000 for
Sun was better
Results 1 - 10 of about 70,600 for Java "string concatenation". (0.19 seconds)
Now we're talking:
Results 1 - 10 of about 7,050 for fortran "string concatenation".
Results 1 - 10 of about 3,230 for cobol "string concatenation".
Of course those last two are much less popular languages but the S/N ratio of the pages you get when you search google for that is very high.
Google should have a naming contest for their new language. Come up with something unique like zarking00g
This Is Not GO.
It apparently also means "To take all the objects one desires from the house of a friend, one at a time, by borrowing them." in Pasquense, Easter Island.
Don't fight for your country, if your country does not fight for you.
A poll would be interesting.
Personally, I think that "Go and "Go! are two different names, so there is no problem.
Unless you get excited about the first one...
A+ != A# != A# C != C# (in fairness they are related) There are several languages refereed to as D F != F# L != L# M != M4
If you can't tell the difference between to similarly named programming languages perhaps programming isn't for you!
But C# = Db F = E# and moreover B# = C
Right now he'd be saying "G'oh!"
I'm not sure why you think selling something is a pre-requisite for being able to trademark its name. What is key is that you use the trademark on an ongoing basis and are the first to use it in a particular field.(Amongst other things). Even if you freely give something away you can still trademark its name; all a trademark does is identify a particular product and prevents others with similar products from trading on your good (or bad) name. Google, for example gives away many services for free yet can still own the rights to Google as a servicemark or trademark; depending on whether you consider search a service or a good.
I didn't say he had to be selling it, I said he had to be using it in a commercial capacity. Trademark applies to, well, trade. I might use a certain nickname on an ongoing basis in a particular field, but that doesn't mean I automatically get a trademark on that nickname. It would have to be a mark of trade in order for it to be trademarkable.
"You cannot simultaneously prevent and prepare for war." -- Albert Einstein
Because Googling for "go" gets you 2,950,000,000 hits. Yes, that's billions. And yet they didn't see that choosing such a common word for a language name was a bad idea. Ah, how the mighty goof up.
"From what I've read, Go! was pretty much unknown to anyone outside a very small group 2 years ago."
From what I've read, Go was pretty much unknown outside of Google until about a week ago.
Believe me, if there's at least one lawyer working for Google, they knew. Even most start-ups research a product name before announcing it. They probably just figured they could pay the guy off.
"Google did this out of ignorance about a language"
Actually he contacted them numerous times prior to launch and they ignored him and pushed to launch anyway. They maliciously took the name.
The man published a book, has published an article on the language, and he is cited around the web. When google announced the launch there was a discussion thread about his language and his attempts to contact google.
Not only have people heard of Go! they were already following the issue.
It is about courtesy, this violates the do no evil policy times ten. Besides, Go is a common english word and shouldn't qualify for the trademark google will want anyway without them greasing palms.