14 DAY TRIAL // Google has some big problems in China, of its own making, but it doesn't mean that it will let smaller ones slide. Shortly after it announced that it was ready to pull out of China if it couldn't operate a censorship-free search engine in the country, enterprising people set up Goojje.com, a brand-new search engine bearing more than a strong resemblance to Google.cn, which is still live as negotiations between Google and Chinese authorities are under way. Google has now sent a warning to the budding search engine asking it to stop using parts of its logo on the site.
Google company has complained about Goojje's logo, which looks identical to Google's except for replacing the second 'g' with a paw logo similar to Google's main search engine rival and current market leader in China, Baidu, and replacing the 'l' with a 'j'. The company says this could be misleading for users who might believe that the use is authorized or that Goojje.com was somehow linked to Google. Lawyers representing Google have sent a letter to Goojje's owners asking them to remove the logo.
For its part, a Goojje.com representative told Bloomberg that the logo didn't infringe on Google's copyright. He also said the site would not stop using it and that it planned to contest Google's request. The site has changed its domain name, though, and all traffic going to goojje.com is now redirected to dierqi.com.
The logo plainly borrows heavily from Google's iconic logo, but China hasn't had the best track record when it comes to intellectual propriety and enforcement of copyright laws. Adding to the fact that Google is already on a very unstable footing in the country, it remains to be seen how successful the complaint will be.
In the meantime Google's faith in China is still unknown and the company is said to be holding talks with authorities discussing its future. As it stands, the search engine is not likely to survive, but Google may very well be able to maintain its other interests in the country.