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Google and Groggle enter negotiations

Liquor price comparison start-up Groggle is currently in negotiations with Google in the hopes of reaching an agreement in their trademark dispute.
Written by Colin Ho, Contributor

Liquor price comparison start-up Groggle is currently in negotiations with Google in the hopes of reaching an agreement in their trademark dispute.

Picture of man holding glasses of beer in front of his eyes

Beer Groggles? (Beer goggles image by A of DooM, CC 2.0)

"Just letting everyone know we are currently in negotiations with Google and hopefully will settle the dispute in the next few days," Groggle tweeted today. It was also re-tweeted by Groggle co-founder Cameron Collie.

Groggle was intended to be a liquor price website that allowed users to input their postcodes to find the cheapest liquor prices in their areas. Groggle had registered its trademark with IP Australia, but was then faced with a legal letter from Google, requesting that it withdraw its trademark application and change its name. Google also wanted Groggle to transfer its domain name Groggle.com.au to Google.

The start-up has also purchased other domains such as .co.uk, which currently redirects to the Groggle.com.au page.

Google was granted a one-month extension with IP Australia to lodge opposition to the Groggle trademark.

The start-up declined to comment further on the issue.

"Google is committed to protecting its users from confusion and to protecting its brand from potential misuse," Google said in a statement. "We've received the applicant's response and are in the process of reviewing it to determine how to proceed. We're hopeful we'll reach an agreement without any need for legal action on either side."

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