Google ready to fight genericization.

Google has revealed that it is considering placing advertisements to prevent the erosion of its brand.

"Genericization is a concern and something we have to face," said Rose Hagan, head of Google's legal team. "We haven't got to the point of running an ad yet, like Xerox, but it is definitely something we do consider."

Google monitors dictionaries and the press and sends letters correcting misuse of the trade mark. Genericization can occur when a trade mark is used as a verb or generic term to describe a category.

Xerox, the printer and copier manufacturer, has used advertisements to prevent the genericization of its trade mark. The success of the Xerox brand has led to the use of the mark as a verb to denote photocopying on any machine.

In English, "to Google" is commonly used to describe the act of using the Google internet search. Once this phrase is used to describe any internet search, the company could lose its trade mark.

"When I first came to Google I was very worried about it and did a lot of research," said Hagan. "We do have a programme to keep an eye on dictionaries and the press but you can't do it for everyone. All you can do is educate."

Commenting on the advertising campaign, Margaret Williams-Walker, general counsel at Xerox, said: "I think it's been very successful. It got the attention of a lot of people very quickly."

Williams-Walker added that the success was down to targeting specific magazines, such as Editor & Publisher, where members of the press could be reached. The advertisements run with the slogan "you cannot xerox a document, but you can copy it on a Xerox Brand copying machine."

But Williams-Walker said that Google may find it hard to avoid dictionary listings: "With dictionaries, we found it very difficult to get them to reconsider the use of the name."

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By Ben Moshinsky, London