I am currently conducting a contest for logo for bigoole.com I said that logo should be similar to Google' logo one guy sent me a logo that was very similar but the colours were different! Whether this logo would raise any legal questions? Since it is some what similar to google I want to hear your opinions from you since I am going to launch it soon also the directory is some what against Google
No? Goole is an offshoot of google, no? And bigoole sounds like "be goole", which can be seen as an offshoot from "be google", no? Ok, maybe too far-fetched. But then...even better, or?
I think we could use it but subject to some limitations as i think that logo is like imitating Google
Simply, since your name is close to Google, do not also copy their colors and logo. Just do a totally different logo that is not at all like Google''s.
From a UK perspective, such activities would open you up to liability in tort/delict (i.e. a claim for damages) under the common law of 'passing off'. Passing off is a situation where you have one company holding out to be affiliated with another, or derived from the same basis. Furthermore this is an objective test, i.e. is the action likely to cause confusion in the eyes of the ordinary, reasonable man? I think in this case, as has been shown by the confusion in the last few posts, you could run in to some problems. Even if you're not UK-based, jurisdictions across the world have similar protections, so I would perhaps suggest opting for a logo that is unlikely to cause 'confusion' in the broadest sense. Of course, practically speaking there may be no comeback, especially if you run a small enterprise, but it is definitely something to bear in mind.
I mean the functionality. When you submit a URL without the "http(s)://", your site doesn't automatically add it. The URL becomes http://www.bigoole.com/DOMAIN.EXT
You can be sued over anything. Your real worry is if a court of law determines that your logo is too similar to an existing logo that has been trademarked. From what I remember these kinds of judgements are unique to the laws of your home country (or where the lawsuit is filed) but essentially they require the prosecutor to show that your logo has enough similarity to theirs that you are using their copyright or identity for your own purposes. Similarities can be signs, objects, placement of colors, font and size of letters and so on. This is why you don't see any logos from major companies looking too similar to other brand logos.