Wired article on Google IPO has this interesting snippet on the impact of adoption of google into common parlance on its trademark status:
The use of the term “google” as a synonym for “search” — a phenomenon that on the surface seems no more than a tribute to the popularity of Google — could have drawbacks for the company. In its IPO filing, Google said it faces the risk of losing trademark rights to its name if too many people use “google” as a verb or “googling” as a gerund. [Wired News: More Reasons to Love Google]
