Use of Google Brand Features
General Information
Although we'd like to accommodate all the requests we receive from users who want to add a touch of Google to their sites, we are passionate about protecting the reputation of our brand as an objective and fair provider of search results. That means we have to turn down many requests because sites imply that Google is endorsing them or is otherwise affiliated with them. The same applies if Google's trademarks, logos, web pages, screen shots, or other distinctive features ("Google Brand Features" or "Brand Features") are associated with objectionable material, as determined by Google.
As a result, we require that you have Google's explicit written permission before using any Google Brand Features. These Brand Features can be used only pursuant to these Guidelines, our Terms and Conditions, and for the specific purposes for which Google has given permission. If you have a written agreement with Google that specifically addresses how you may use its Brand Features, you don't need to go through the approval process here unless you want to do something other than what has been authorized in your existing agreement. Otherwise, the only time you can use Brand Features without advance written permission is if there is clear and express language on our website stating that you can use those Brand Features without first obtaining permission, such as is the case with our search boxes.
When you use any of our Brand Features, you must always follow the Rules for Proper Usage included in these Guidelines. In addition, Google may provide you with written requirements as to the size, typeface, colors, and other graphic characteristics of the Google Brand Features. If we provide these requirements to you at the time of our approval, you must implement them before using our Brand Features. If we provide these requirements to you after we initially gave our permission, you must implement them within a commercially reasonable timeframe.
Approval Process
To request approval, complete the Permission Request Form, and send it to us with the information specified in the form. Although we will try to respond within 10 business days, we cannot guarantee that, and you can't use Google Brand Features until we have expressly granted you approval.
The approval to use Google Brand Features is limited to the information provided in your request. If your anticipated use changes, before or after, Google grants approval, you must update your request accordingly.
Please note that we can only give you permission to use the Google Brand Features. We cannot give you permission to use any brand features belonging to third parties.
Trademark Basics
What is a trademark?
A trademark is a word, name, symbol or device (or a combination thereof) that identifies the goods or services of a person or company and distinguishes them from the goods and services of others. A trademark assures consumers of consistent quality with respect to those goods or services and aids in their promotion.
Why is it important to use marks correctly?
Rights to a trademark can last indefinitely if the owner continues to use the mark to identify its goods and services. If trademarks are not used properly, they may be lost and one of the company's most important assets may lose all of its value. Rights may be lost not only because of a trademark owner's improper use of the mark, but through improper use of the trademark by the public.
Rules for Proper Usage
Things to do:
- If you are using a Google trademark, distinguish the trademark from the surrounding text in some way. Capitalize the first letter, capitalize or italicize the entire mark, place the mark in quotes, use a different type style or font for the mark than for the generic name.
- If you do not capitalize the entire mark, always spell and capitalize the trademark exactly as they are shown in the Google Trademarks and Suggested Accepted Generic Terms below.
- Use the trademark only as an adjective, never as a noun or verb, and never in the plural or possessive form.
- Use a generic term following the trademark, for example: GOOGLE search engine, Google search, GOOGLE web search.
- Use only Google-approved artwork when using Google's logos.
- If you are using a Google logo on a web page, there must exist a minimum spacing of 25 pixels between each side of the logo and other graphic or textual elements on your web page.
- Normally, an unregistered Google Brand Feature should be followed by the superscripted letters TM or SM to give notice that the company claims trademark rights in the term. A registered Google Brand Feature should be followed by the symbol ® to identify the term as a registered trademark. In advertising copy, notice of trademark rights may be provided in a footnote format – e.g., by placing an asterisk adjacent to the Google Brand Feature and placing an appropriate notice at the bottom of the page on which the asterisk appears. Example: *GOOGLE is a trademark of Google Inc.
- One of the conditions for all uses is that you can't mess around with our marks. Only we get to do that. Don’t remove, distort or alter any element of a Google Brand Feature. That includes modifying a Google trademark, for example, through hyphenation, combination or abbreviation, such as: Googliscious, Googlyoogly, GaGooglemania. Do not shorten, abbreviate, or create acronyms out of Google trademarks.
- Don’t display a Google Brand Feature as the most prominent element on your web page.
- Don’t display a Google Brand Feature in any manner that implies a relationship or affiliation with, sponsorship, or endorsement by Google, or that can be reasonably interpreted to suggest editorial content has been authored by, or represents the views or opinions of Google or Google personnel.
- Don’t display a Google Brand Feature on any web site that contains or displays adult content, promotes gambling, involves the sale of tobacco or alcohol to persons under twenty-one years of age, or otherwise violates applicable law.
- Don’t display a Google Brand Feature in a manner that is in Google's sole opinion misleading, unfair, defamatory, infringing, libelous, disparaging, obscene or otherwise objectionable to Google.
- Don’t display a Google Brand Feature on a site that violates any law or regulation.
- Don’t frame or mirror any Google page (including the page that appears in response to a click on the Google logo or Google search box).
- Don’t incorporate Google Brand Features into your own product name, service names, trademarks, logos, or company names.
- Don’t copy or imitate Google's trade dress, including the look and feel of Google web design properties or Google brand packaging, distinctive color combinations, typography, graphic designs, product icons, or imagery associated with Google
- Don’t adopt marks, logos, slogans, or designs that are confusingly similar to our Brand Features.
- Don’t register Google trademarks as second-level domain names.
- Don’t use Google trademarks in a way that suggests a common, descriptive, or generic meaning.
- Trademark rights vary from country to country. Some countries have severe criminal and civil penalties for improper use of the registration symbol. Therefore, don’t use the registration symbol (®) in countries where the mark has not been registered.
Google Trademarks and Suggested Accepted Generic Terms
The following are some of the trademarks owned by Google Inc. and the suggested generic terms for those trademarks.
- AdSense advertising service
- AdSense For Content program
- AdSense For Domains program
- AdSense For Print program
- AdSense For Search program
- AdWords advertising service
- AdWords Authorized Resellers program
- AdWords Editor campaign management application
- Android mobile technology platform
- Blogger web publishing service
- Broadcast Yourself service
- Citizentube channel
- Claim Your Content content monitoring tool
- Closed Log Avails tool
- Dalvik virtual machine
- Dmarc advertising service
- Dodgeball social networking service
- Feedburner services
- Feedflare service
- Gmail webmail service
- Goog 411 service
- Google search or search engine
- Google Ad Manager For Advertisers service
- Google Adsense advertising program
- Google Advertising Professionals program
- Google Adwords advertising program
- Google Alerts email update service
- Google Analytics web analytics service
- Google Answers research service
- Google App Engine platform
- Google Apps service
- Google Audio Ads service
- Google Base online database
- Google Blog weblog
- Google Blog Search service
- Google Book Search service
- Google Calendar calendaring service
- Google Catalogs catalog search
- Google Chart Api product
- Google Checkout payment and billing service
- Google Code open source developer site
- Google Code Search search engine
- Google Compute feature
- Google Content Network service
- Google Co-Op platform
- Google Custom Search service
- Google Custom Search Engine service
- Google Dashboard Widgets software
- Google Data Api protocol
- Google Desktop searching software
- Google Desktop Search search tool
- Google Diary product
- Google Directory web directory
- Google Docs program
- Google Earth mapping service
- Google Enterprise products
- Google Extensions for Firefox software
- Google Finance financial information service
- Google Foundation non-profit organization
- Google Friend(S) newsletter
- Google Gadget Ads technology
- Google Gadget Center web page
- Google Gadgets technology
- Google Gears open source browser
- Google Glossary glossary service
- Google Grants program
- Google Groups usernet discussion forums
- Google Health program
- Google Image Search service
- Google Labs research division
- Google Mail webmail service
- Google Maps mapping service
- Google Mars mapping service
- Google Message Discovery email product
- Google Message Encryption email product
- Google Message Filtering email product
- Google Message Security email product
- Google Mini hardware
- Google Mobile wireless service
- Google Mobile Ads service
- Google Mobile Updater application
- Google Music Search service
- Google Music Trends service
- Google News news service
- Google News Alerts service
- Google Notebook tool
- Google Pack software download service
- Google Page Creator tool
- Google Patent Search service
- Google Personalized Search service
- Google Print Ads advertising program
- Google Product Search price comparison service
- Google Profiles
- Google Reader feed reader
- Google Ride Finder taxi service
- Google Safe Browsing api
- Google Safesearch filtering
- Google Scholar scholarly texts search
- Google Search Appliance hardware
- Google Sets set prediction service
- Google Sidebar software
- Google Site Search service
- Google Sitemaps service
- Google Sites web application
- Google Sky program
- Google Sms mobile messaging service
- Google Store online store
- Google Suggest suggestion service
- Google Talk instant messaging service
- Google Toolbar search bar
- Google Transit trip planning service
- Google Translate translation service
- Google Trends tool
- Google TV Ads advertising program
- Google Updater application
- Google US Government Search service
- Google Video video search
- Google Voice communications service
- Google Web Accelerator software
- Google Web Alerts service
- Google Web Search features
- Google Web Security for Enterprise product
- Google Web Toolkit open source Java software development framework
- Google Webmaster Central landing page
- Google Website Optimizer tool
- Google Zeitgeist report
- Google ノートブック product
- Google 노트 product
- Google 笔记本 product
- Google 筆記本 product
- Google 问答 feature
- Google.Org non-profit foundation
- Googleモバイル 検索メール product
- Google 热榜 service
- Google 网站导航 product
- Grandcentral communications service
- iGoogle personalized homepage
- I'm Feeling Lucky search service
- Jaiku service
- Joga online community
- Keyhole mapping service
- Knol project or website
- Listen In feature
- Maestro audio systems
- Measure Map web analytics service
- One Number…For Life service
- Open Handset Alliance business alliance
- Opensocial developer api
- Orkut online community
- Pagerank algorithm
- Panoramio photo-sharing community
- Picasa photo organizing software
- Postini email solutions
- Recharge It Google.org car program
- Ringshare feature
- Sketchup sketching software
- Songnow channel
- Trendalyzer software
- Universal Search vision
- Urchin web analytics service
- YouTube user-generated content website
- YouTube Screening Room program
- Zingku service
- 出口易 product
- 来吧 product
- 生活搜索 product
- 谷歌搜索联盟 feature
- 谷歌来吧 product
- 谷歌热榜 service
- 谷歌生活搜索 product