Microsoft sues 17yo over domain name.

[jimnms]

Full Story (http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/6/34955.html)

In what could easily be mistaken for an Onion story, Microsoft has unleashed the full fury of its lawyers on 17-year-old Canadian high-school student, Mike Rowe, demanding the handover of his Internet domain.

The domain? MikeRoweSoft.com. No, seriously.

Victoria-based Mike is currently studying maths and chemistry and plans to study computer science at Victoria University next year. He registered the domain in August because he thought it would be cool to have a site that sounded like the famous company to show his Web designing skills.

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Learn from the mistakes of others, you won't live long enough to make all of them yourself.

[alan]

No surprise that Monopolysoft would do this.

Alan

"Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?"

[PN]

A long time ago, a good friend of mine was President of General Modors. He designed and sold T-shirts throughout Los Angeles. His business cards at the bottom, read "We Walk to Work." He was never contacted by General Motors regarding the name of his business.

PN

[KLD]

We used to have a cute little re-sale dress shop here called "Sacks 5th Avenue" (it was on 5th avenue in our city). They were successfully sued by Saks Fifth Avenue and had to change their name. They then went out of business.

The rehab center I used to work at had an annual wheelchair sports event. They called it the "Rehab Olympiad" for 3 years until contacted by the attorney for the Olympic Games, which made them change the name to Rehab Sports Day. It also has disappeared.

[mattblan]

"It would seem Microsoft has no choice but to back down as, legally, it doesn't have a hope in hell of winning and there are plenty of lawyers out there who would love to get a win against Microsoft under their belt."

My thoughts, exactly.

[jimnms]

After he wins the lawsuit from Microsoft, he should write his own operating system and call it Wind O's. http://sci.rutgers.edu/forum/images/smilies/biggrin.gif

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Learn from the mistakes of others, you won't live long enough to make all of them yourself.

[jimnms]

Microsoft says it may have been overaggressive in threatening Web entrepreneur Mike Rowe over the name of his Web site, Mikerowesoft.com.

Full Story (http://news.com.com/2100-1014_3-5143614.html?tag=nefd_top)

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Learn from the mistakes of others, you won't live long enough to make all of them yourself.

[PN]

Thanks Jim.

PN

http://www.mikerowesoft.com/

[jimnms]

Mikerosoft.ca magnifies Microsoft's PR nightmare (http://news.zdnet.co.uk/business/legal/0,39020651,39119249,00.htm)

A new Mike joins Mike Rowe in Microsoft's legal crosshairs

Microsoft showed its human side on Tuesday when the company admitted to overreacting by allowing its lawyers to threaten Mike Rowe over his MikeRoweSoft.com Web site. However, the company is unlikely to be so kind to another Mike, also from Canada, who is embroiled in a similar trademark battle with the software giant over his domain.

Mike Morris, who has been using the mikerosoft.ca domain for two years to front his non-commercial Web site, received a letter from Microsoft's Canadian lawyers, Smart & Biggar, in early January. He too was asked to transfer his domain to Microsoft, who offered to reimburse his registration fee and domain-transfer costs (after originally demanding that Morris bear these costs himself).

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Learn from the mistakes of others, you won't live long enough to make all of them yourself.

[PN]

Mike Rowe goes soft, hands over PR victory
By Kieren McCarthy
Posted: 26/01/2004 at 13:27 GMT

Microsoft has done it again - looked for all the world like it is going to get a bloody nose, and come out smelling of roses.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/6/35113.html

PN

[Scott Pruett]

geez... maybe I should register www.mycrowsoft.com (http://www.mycrowsoft.com) ... What's the worst that'd happen... I'd likely get all my money back from setting it up, & it'd be a funny story to tell my kids someday http://sci.rutgers.edu/forum/images/smilies/wink.gif

(I'm not serious, btw)

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There will be plenty of time to rest when I'm dead and gone, until then, 150% straight ahead....

[PN]

Thanks Scott! http://sci.rutgers.edu/forum/images/smilies/smile.gif

PN

[dogger]

totally off the subject of computers , but to do with registered names/usage etc . in Australia we have a sheepskin [wool side in ] footwear that is known as ''ugg boots'' [ and have been for 20-30 years ] . Deckers [ who i understand are a large footwear manufacturer in the US ] , have recently registered the name ''ugg boots'' and are now threatening to sue any other manufacturers/retailers who use the name ugg boots to market them . sounds like a case of lawyers gone mad to me !
thank you ,
dogger

every day i wake up is a good one .

[~Patrick~]

did you see you interview with Mike on Screensavers? lmao, he said he is programming Linox onto his X-Box!!

He got alot of cool things from MS out of all this. No lawsuit

T-10 complete
10/08/01
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