posted on Wednesday, October 19, 2005 5:46 AM
by
beedeep
Gmail Changes to GoogleMail in UK
The story behind the new "Google Mail" name
You
may have noticed the Google Mail logo. We are changing our service's
name in the UK. Starting October 19, 2005, all new accounts will have
@googlemail.com addresses. Don't worry, though – all messages are being
sent and delivered as before.
Why the name change then?
We
have been involved in a dispute regarding the Gmail trademark in the
UK. Another company has claimed rights to the Gmail name. We have tried
to resolve this dispute through negotiations, but our efforts have
failed.
We are still working with the courts and trademark office to protect
our ability to use the Gmail name, but in the meantime, we want you to
have an email address you can rely on.
The Gmail Team is dedicated to offering the best email service to our
users. Our email service stays the same no matter what the logo is or
what follows the @ symbol. This change lets our team focus their time
on continuing to bring you excellent service.
What this means for our users
Do I need to do anything?
No. Although the name is changing, your email service remains the same.
To sign in, you can go to the same page as before, or you can now also
visit: http://mail.google.com/mail.
When will you start offering Google Mail accounts? When will this change take place?
Starting
October 19, 2005, the Gmail service will be renamed Google Mail in the
UK. We will no longer issue new @gmail.com addresses. All new addresses
will be @googlemail.com addresses.
What if I invite someone? Will they also have to create an @googlemail.com address?
That
depends on where your invitation recipients are located. If they are in
a country where we issue Gmail accounts, then they will be able to
create a Gmail account. But from the UK, you will only be able to send
Google Mail invitations. If your recipient is also in the UK, he or she
will only be able to create an @googlemail.com account.
What if I'm a UK user who already has a Gmail address? Will that address ever change?
Unfortunately, we don't know. We would love to say that your address
will always remain the same. But the trademark issue is still
unsettled, and unfortunately, we cannot predict what the other party or
the courts might do here. You can always use your same username with an
@googlemail.com address to avoid this issue later on. But trust that we
will do the best we can to make sure your email address won't ever have
to change.
What if I'm a UK user who already has a Gmail address? Will I also need to change that address?
No, this change doesn’t affect existing Gmail addresses. For now, our
plan is only to issue @googlemail.com addresses to new users. Trust
that we will do the best we can to offer all our users a reliable and
consistent email experience.