Google is evidently no longer using the name Gmail in Germany.

Philipp Lenssen discovered the interesting change over on his Google Blogoscoped site. Apparently, Lenssen says, navigating to gmail.com in Germany now results in a splashscreen message:

“We can’t provide service under the Gmail name in Germany; we’re called Google Mail here instead.

If you’re traveling in Germany, you can access your mail at http://mail.google.com.

Oh, and we’d like to link the URL above, but we’re not allowed to do that either. Bummer.

For general information about Google, please visit www.google.com or www.google.de.”

The site — now accessible only via mail.google.com in Germany — also uses a logo saying “Google Mail” instead of “Gmail” when you load it there.

Lenssen points out the possible connection between this and an ongoing battle between Google and a German man who had apparently already trademarked the name “G-Mail.”

Bet that guy is feeling pretty damned big right about now.