The U.S. Won't Let Google Trademark 'Glass' for Its Glass-Less Eyewear

Still struggling to make a good name for itself with a skeptical American public, Google Glass is now struggling to get its literal name approved by the U.S. trademark office.

Still struggling to make a good name for itself with a skeptical American public, Google Glass is now struggling to get its literal name approved by the U.S. trademark office. The Wall Street Journal reports that the trademark office is pushing back against Google's plan to trademark the single word "Glass" for its wearable computerized eyeglasses.

Google already has legal claim to "Google Glass," but two issues are holding back the plans to trademark "Glass." For one, the term is too similar to other products and so could cause confusion among consumers. And secondly, the word is “merely descriptive” of the actual product. "You couldn’t trademark the word 'shoe' for a shoe you’re selling, for instance," the Journal notes. The trademark office's letter argues that Google Glass is made of glass, and so therefore it can't be trademarked.

Not so, Google responded in a 1,928-page letter. Google Glass in fact has no glass in it, and is instead made of plastic and titanium, Google's lawyers wrote, presumably high-fiving and yelling "LAWYERED" while typing the response. The majority of that letter consisted of media references to Google's product as "Glass," as the company argues that the computerized eyeglasses have already become an established part of the culture and market. No final decision has yet been made by the trademark office.