Google scotches Australian 'Groggle' search

Groggle's founder said the name was a play on an Australian word for alcohol

An Australian hoping to quench his nation's thirst via the web has agreed to change the name of his alcohol search site after protests from Google.

Cameron Collie set up Groggle to allow users to find the best-priced "grog" in nearby stores.

Search giant Google complained at his effort to trademark the name, prompting a six-month legal wrangle.

Now the name Groggle has been changed to a more conventional title, Drinkle, ahead of its launch in 2011.

Announcing the settlement, Mr Collie, 37, said he could not disclose terms of the deal but confirmed that the name change was part of the agreement.

There was no word on whether money had changed hands, but the firm announced on Twitter that it would be celebrating with a bottle of "Australia's most expensive beer".

Groggle's website now redirects to Drinkle, the new company name

Asked about the settlement, Mr Collie told the Sydney Morning Herald that he was "just happy that it's over".

"It [the legal argument] basically put a lot of restrictions on us, prevented us from launching and entering the market and getting things underway, something that we've worked on now for a couple of years.

"I still maintain that I don't think that there would have been any confusion in the marketplace," he added.

Google said it had "reached agreement" and was "glad to move forward" on the matter, the Herald reported.