sourceGmail, the free e-mail service run by internet search giant Google, will change its name for new UK users.
Following a trademark dispute the mail account will be renamed Google Mail.
London-based Independent International Investment Research says it started using the Gmail name for a web-mail application two years before Google.
Current UK users of Google's service will be unaffected, but a separate trademark dispute forced Google to drop the Gmail name in Germany in May.
and from Google themselves:
sourceThe 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.
Reports in Germany suggest that mail sent to new Googlemail accounts but using the Gmail domain are still getting through without hitch
