Considering the fact the Google does not actually manufacture a tangible, physical product of its own without the assistance of others, it's hard to imagine a company that has more of its value tied up in intellectual assets. As such, the search engine giant has been particularly vigilant when it comes to patent and trademark management.

The latest example of the firm defending the value of its good name came earlier in the week as Google reclaimed more than 750 fraudulent website domain names that were attempting to profit off its brand equity. But although cybersquatting awareness has been on the rise in recent months, this was by no means and open and shut case.

According to Marketing Land, the defendant argued that the company name could not be guarded by traditional trademark protection now that the word "google" has become a generic verb associated with the act of performing a web search. But while this initially seemed like a valid line of reasoning, the National Arbitration Forum ultimately decided that the domain names in question fit the accepted criteria for cybersquatting.

Despite the final judgment, according to the Register, the defendant has gone on to file a separate motion with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office seeking the cancelation of Google's trademark on the grounds that the name has become a commonly accepted part of speech.