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Google Tells Chinas Goojje to Stop Imitating its Logo
Google Inc. recently sent a “cease and desist letter” to the operators of Goojje, a Chinese search engine and social networking site that is allegedly imitating Google’s website design and logo, warning them to stop copying or using a logo that resembles Google’s trademark-protected logo. Goojje.com was reportedly founded by a female college student in Guangdong and developed by a team of about 20 people, after Google’s January 12, 2010 announcement that it may withdraw from China due to censorship concerns. Goojje’s Chinese name ends with a character that sounds like the Chinese word for “big sister”, while Google’s Chinese name ends with a character that sounds like the Chinese word for “big brother”.
One of the Goojje’s founders said in an email: "We will continue the site; we will insist on our own path; we will not give up; we won't abandon it. Anyone who knows Chinese knows the difference between the two." In an exclusive interview with Bloomberg News, a masked representative of Goojje said: “We need to protect Goojje. After all, if we do reveal our identities or our faces, it may bring Goojje a lot of negative influence.” Google may choose to initiate legal action if Goojje fails to comply with Google’s cease and desist letter.
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