Internet giant Google has failed in its bid to gain Europe-wide trademark protection for its email service Gmail.According to a ruling by the European Union (EU), the name is too similar to an existing trademark owned by German businessman Daniel Giersch.
Mr Giersch, who received his trademark in 2000, possesses a trademark for a slogan that includes the name G-mail.
The EU stated that there is "a likelihood of confusion" between the two trademarks and therefore people "will be misled into thinking that the marks indicate a shared commercial origin", Bloomberg reports.
It rejected Google's claim that there was no risk of confusion when looking at Mr Giersch's slogan as a whole.
The businessman has been involved in legal battles with Google ever since the search engine provider launched Gmail, its free web-based email service, in 2004.
He uses a German slogan, which can be translated as "G-mail and the mail really takes off", to promote his electronic mail delivery business.
Commenting on the issue, Greg Sterling, an analyst and principal founder of consulting and research firm Sterling Market Intelligence, stated: "I would expect [Google] to appeal until they have no more legal recourse.
"Ultimately, if they fail, they will have no other way but to create a separate brand."
The next step for Google will be an appeal to the European Court of First Instance in Luxembourg.
