Gmail is synonymous with emails. You may have switched on to another browser considering the privacy issues Google’s Search Engine has been currently facing. But whether you use the Search Engine or not Gmail must be there in your device. But did you know the household mailing platform wasn’t originally named Gmail.com?
Initially the whole service was started by Google Employees as a service for Google Employees only. The employees didn’t like the existing mailing platforms like Hotmail and Yahoo, as they reloaded the entire interface. The new project was initially called ‘Caribou’. However, Google changed the name, when they opened up for the public. But the path wasn’t that easy for them.
The company faced multiple trademarks issues. Starting from Germany where there was already an existing firm called G-mail. Gmail had to then operate on two domain names Gmail.com and GoogleMail.com. In Poland, a domain name Gmail.pl was operating. In Russia, there was another Gmail.ru. Even in the United Kingdom, Gmail faced trademark issues and operated principally through GoogleMail.com there.
Gmail slowly handled and resolved all these issues. It was after all these hurdles that we see the brand ‘Gmail’ today. Imagine how everything would have fared if they had stuck with their original name Caribou. In fact when I searched for WhoIs info on Caribou.com, I found the domain name was still registered with Google.
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