Will Microsoft Live Search get renamed 'Kumo'?

In a filing last December 4, Microsoft has trademarked the "Kumo" name, after previously acquiring the Kumo.com domain name. So it's bound to mean something eventually; the question is, will it mean something new?

In its trademark filing, Microsoft said that it might use the Kumo name for a variety of purposes, such as "computer search engine software," "computer searches, including search engine services," and "dissemination of advertising including dissemination of advertising for others via the Internet."

Though Microsoft has filed for the trademark, it has not yet been officially registered by the US Patent and Trademark Office, though conceivably the company could begin using the mark at any time. Just because a company files a trademark for a term or phrase doesn't mean it necessarily will use it for the purposes it specifies, or will do so right away -- as was the case two years ago when Apple filed a trademark for "iBook."

Microsoft is also now the owner of a number of related domain names, including Kumosearch.com, Kumotravel.com, and Kumowiki.com.

Microsoft already offers services in these categories under its "Windows Live" brand. Now, rumors are about that Microsoft will replace the "Windows Live" brand with "Kumo." However, Microsoft already has extensive trademark protection around "Windows Live" that extends beyond what it's reserving for "Kumo," suggesting the possibility that a less Windows-centric brand for services could co-exist with "Windows Live" instead.

"Live Search" is an extension of Microsoft's Windows Live services, and actually is not a Microsoft trademark. Without the space, "LiveSearch" was actually registered in August 2007 to VirtualAlly LLC.

Microsoft, perpetually a distant third in the search engine standings, has been struggling for some time now to catch up to industry leader Google and second-place player Yahoo. Would a catchier name -- whether Kumo or not -- do anything to help out its cause?

[Scott M. Fulton, III provided additional information for this report.]