Google Says Googling Is Inappropriate

Concerned over the word “Google” becoming a noun in such common usage that they lose their trademark on it (like “escalator” which used to be a trademark of the Otis Elevator Company), Google is objecting to certain uses of their popular name.

An article in The Washington Post, was apparently taken to task by Google’s lawyers.

Appropriate: He ego-surfs on the Google search engine to see if he’s listed in the results.
Inappropriate: He googles himself.
Appropriate: I ran a Google search to check out that guy from the party.
Inappropriate: I googled that hottie.

[Update 2013] NBC has an interesting article here: No Googling, says Google — unless you really mean it.

[Update 2021] There’s a fun video about this from 2021: Why Google Doesn’t Want You to Say You “Googled Something”.

What do you think? Do you “google” things? Discuss in the comments below.