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Why is my Google Gmail mail coming from googlemail.com?

This is weird: my friends are telling me that when I send mail from Gmail, the return address is to googlemail.com, not gmail.com. Have I had my Gmail account hacked or something?

Dave's Answer:

I seem to be on that short list too over at Google Mail Central too: when I send mail the return address is also from @googlemail.com.

Fortunately, a quick check of whois shows that it's registered by Google, not some mysterious third-world hacker group:

$ whois googlemail.com
Registrant:
Google Inc. (DOM-302458)
1600 Amphitheatre Parkway
Mountain View CA 94043
US

So it's not someone hacking the system. What's up? Well, it turns out that it's all because of a trademark dispute in England. As Google explains:

"We have been involved in a dispute regarding the Gmail trademark in the UK. Another company has claimed rights to the Gmail name. We have tried to resolve this dispute through negotiations, but our efforts have failed. We are still working with the courts and trademark office to protect our ability to use the Gmail name, but in the meantime, we want you to have an email address you can rely on."

The long and short of it is that while it's a minor nuisance, it's nothing to worry about. :-)

Thanks, Eric, for the tip about googlemail.com!

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Categorized: Computer and Internet Basics (Article 7806)
Tagged: gmail, google mail, whois
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Comments

Interestingly, when I use my gmail account to reply to another mailbox, my return address is still gmail.com, not googlemail.com. It appears that not everyone has their return address as googlemail.com, but I'm not sure why. Who knows!

Posted by: Eric Savage at January 1, 2008 12:03 PM

I too am a Brit with a gmail.com email address, but I was an early adopter. It is only those Brits who signed up after the case went to court who use a googlemail.com adddress.

And, BTW, the trademark dispute is in the UK, not England!

Posted by: Dave MacRae at February 8, 2008 2:12 AM

help! I am unable to unsubscribe from a few newsletters I've signed up to because the unsubscribe reader now reads the subscription from @googlemail.com and not @gmail.com that I used to sign up. I can't figure out how to complain to Google - any ideas?

Posted by: sarah at April 20, 2008 9:28 AM

That's an interesting problem, Sarah! Most modern newsletters and email lists have an unsubscribe link on the bottom of the message: that usually has your email address embedded within, so it should work regardless of whether you are @gmail or @googlemail

Secondly, if you're emailing an unsubscribe message like

unsub LISTNAME

you can also try just adding your email address immediately after it:

unsub LISTNAME your@email.adr

Failing both of those, email the list owner and ask them to help you out. Good luck!

Posted by: Dave Taylor at April 21, 2008 8:53 PM

I'm having a similar issue to Sarah above - the weird thing is, I'm in Canada, so I have no idea why my gmail is showing up as coming from googlemail.com. But my problem lies in that Facebook deleted my account, but will ONLY deal with me if I write to them from the email registered with the account - of course, I signed up with my-address@gmail.com (because even if you don't send FROM that account, gmail will still forward it to your @googlemail.com account). It's VERY frustrating!

Posted by: Ryan at April 7, 2009 10:45 AM

Interesting article about googlemail in the UK. Apparently if you have signed up for Gmail in the UK, your emails may be going to Google customers in the US. I have begun to get tons of email to me from where someone is using my email address in the UK. So far I have been notified that I have reserved a bed-and-breakfast in Scotland, been invited to boxed seats at Wimbledon and received a survey from "my" vet in England--all sent to me @gmail.com or sometimes to me @googlemail.com! So apparently if you have been given a gmail OR a googlemail address in the UK, there's a good chance that your mail is being redirected to someone in the Colonies!

Posted by: Steve at August 20, 2009 10:33 AM

I relinquish any subsequent rights of ownership to your material by submitting it on this site.

Why is my mail coming to me in Dutch and German. Can it be corrected by doing something ? ty. Alma

Posted by: ap Ludwick at January 4, 2010 2:25 PM

I have something to say, now that you mention it, but ...

I do have a lot to say, and questions of my own for that matter, but first I'd like to say thank you for all your efforts on this Web site by buying you a cup of coffee!

I do have a comment, now that you mention it!