Yes, the image for this article is the actual patent application. Google has officially patented its homepage design. What design, you ask? Why the one you see whenever you go to google.com: the logo, under which is a search box and some buttons. It’s a bit of a headscratcher, really. I mean, why patent something so damn simple?
I think Google filed this patent over liability concerns. The Google homepage is certainly iconic. I doubt there’s anyone who’s been online for an extended period of time who doesn’t recognize the image. Let’s say I’ve been around online for a while, but I’m not all too… perceptive. I could go to some malicious site posing as the Google homepage which steals my data. It could actually say “Goagle,” but I may not have noticed. Google then has a legal basis by which to shut down the owners of that webpage.
Valleywag points out that the Yahoo search page is very similar to Google’s, but I can’t imagine a suit arising over this. If that happens, then we know that Google has very forgot to not be evil.
