Anonymous E-Mails

A telecommunications bill initiated by the German government would bring the country into line with EU data-retention standards by forcing Internet and e-mail providers store customer data, including personal information for six months to allow for identification, effectively outlawing the practice of using fake names or e-mail addresses on the Internet in Germany.

The move angered US-based Google so much that the company threatened to close its popular e-mail service, which allows people to enter fake information when signing up for an e-mail address, according to the company's privacy representative, Peter Fleischer.

Many users around the globe make use of this anonymity, be it to protect themselves from spam, or to publish their opinions despite state repression", Fleischer told German business daily Wirtschaftswoche. "If the Web community can no longer trust us to handle their data with care, we will go down in no time.

"In the worst case, we'll turn off Google Mail in Germany," Fleischer said.

He also said he doubted the law would have much of an effect, "People will simply turn to foreign e-mail addresses."

Google looses trademark spat

Google experienced a second setback in Germany when a court ruled last week that the company could not use the abbreviation "gmail" for its e-mail service.

German venture capitalist Daniel Giersch sued Google for rights to the "gmail" trademark for his own business, which goes by the name G-mail -- short for "Giersch mail." Giersch said he only wanted to use the trademark in Germany, Switzerland, Norway and Monaco.

The court is expected to provide a written ruling making Giersch's ownership of the trademark on July 4, according to Google and Giersch. Google said the service would keep the name Google Mail.