Google's bid for a trademark on its Nexus One smartphone has been denied by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, which concluded last week that the name is too similar to a trademark held by Portland-based Integra Telecom.

"Registration of the applied-for mark is refused because of a likelihood of confusion with the mark in U.S. Registration No. 3554195," the trademark office wrote in its March 9 ruling.

That trademark has been held since 2008 by Integra, which provides phone, Internet and other telecom services to small and midsized businesses. According to Integra's filing, it registered the term "NEXUS" to describe a series of calling services, excluding those offered to "participants in the physical oil industry."

That doesn't sound like a smartphone, but in his decision, trademark examining attorney David Taylor cited established law holding that "The goods and/or services of the parties need not be identical or directly competitive to find a likelihood of confusion."

Taylor concludes that the "mobile phones" category in which Google seeks a trademark is encompassed by the broad range of services Integra offers.

The trademark office's decision has been noted by

, and

, among others. Crave points out that Google's already run into difficulties with the Nexus and Android names. The family of Philip K. Dick considers it all

to the language in "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?"

As for Integra, it says that it hasn't heard from Google, but that the Nexus brand is important to the Portland company:

Update, 3:41 p.m.: I've updated the post to indicate that Integra's trademark excludes services to the oil industry. Previously, I'd indicated incorrectly that Integra's Nexus services was directed toward that industry.

