Microsoft V MikeRoweSoft

Cal

Check out www.mikerowesoft.com

Maybe this should be in Humour except that there is a very serious side to this.

Is Bill Gates going too far on this occasion?

Cal

Faust

Damn microsoft... But is his name actually mike rowe?

Cabaal

Originally posted by Faust
Damn microsoft... But is his name actually mike rowe?

From what I've read yeah thats his real name alright
MS are going to new lows with this one
:mad:

Agent Smith

/me vows to burn microsoft.....

AdMMM

ROFL.

Microsoft realy are sinking to an all time low, maybe soon they'l be like Metallica!!

passive

Bastards....we should all boycott micr...m....aargh...windows not responding....pc...catching fire.....avenge me!!!!


*fatal exception occured. user terminated*

gobby

my god. the poor guy. hes only 17!

UnrealQueen

Originally posted by |.Murderer.|
ROFL.

Microsoft realy are sinking to an all time low, maybe soon they'l be like Metallica!!

Oi! No need for that now!

Grom

unix tbh

Töpher

Originally posted by |.Murderer.|
Microsoft realy are sinking to an all time low, maybe soon they'l be like Metallica!!

LOL! Quality!!! As hard as it may be to accept, they've still some catching up to do to be as low as Metallica!

rymus

Originally posted by gobby
my god. the poor guy. hes only 17!

What I'd like to know is.. what are MS expecting to gain in the way of $$ from this guy? If he's only 17 he'll be able to give them maybe $100 and a few lollipops

Capt'n Midnight

Remember Ronald McDonald - grand laird of the Clan McDonald ?

or Duncan Doughnuts

daveirl

This post has been deleted.

Gordon

If Microsoft didn't act like f*ckin borgs then they wouldn't have given Mike Rowe (!) all this media attention. So it'll turn out that after this the guy will get loads of business and won't sell his domain for anything less than 10 grand.

kudos to the guy, hope he gets loads of dosh from all this.

bizmark

you would have to be a right retard to misspell Microsoft "Mikerowesoft" wtf is the problem ??

jmcc

It is tough but in terms of protecting the Microsoft brand and trademark, it is the only thing that Microsoft could do. Microsoft have a history of aggressively protecting their brands - look at the Lindows fiasco for example.

Regards...jmcc

yellum

He purposely used that name, so he was in a way making money off that word play. When an entity worth billions happens to own the original name they can go overboard to protect it.

rymus

Originally posted by daveirl
Well actually, Microsoft just asked for the name back and offered $10 to compensate them. He then asked for $1000 from them, so they sent a lawyers letter. Fair enough in my book.

Yeah only spotted that afterwards. I wonder if macrosoft.com is still available... That'd surely throw off a few hundred thousand Texans, what with the accent and all.

Hyzepher

What about mycrowsoft.com - that must be worth a few quid.

Hyzepher

GreeBo

Originally posted by yellum
He purposely used that name, so he was in a way making money off that word play. When an entity worth billions happens to own the original name they can go overboard to protect it.

Ans what are you basing this knowledge on?
Yes he purposefully used it, as in it was a magical event that brought the website into existence.
Would you have preferred if he called it BillClintonSoft?:rolleyes:
But why would he, THATS NOT HIS NAME!!

Sheesh! :ninja:

Capt'n Midnight

Originally posted by daveirl
Well actually, Microsoft just asked for the name back and offered $10 to compensate them. He then asked for $1000 from them, so they sent a lawyers letter. Fair enough in my book.

No he didn't ask for X amount ..
He pointed out that the site was not for sale and that it was worth a lot more than the $10 they were offering.

Now of course the site is worth about $10,000

The offer of $10 is insulting - it would not cover his costs. - since there is content on the web page he can hardly be accused of cybersquatting.

Also since Microsoft spend about $5Bn on advertising each year (give or take) and have their spelling promentally on 90% of all desktop / home computers and have been involved in high profile court cases for ages, it is extremely unlikely that anyone who is likely to purchase goods or services from either is unlikely to be confused as which company is which.

Remember microsoft make nearly as much profit from breaking the law as they do from operating within it .. (Illegal practises have killed off alternatives to DOS / IE etc. Smartsuite etc. were killed off by having products with no copy protection, Gateway services for Novell meant you could bypass Novell's licencing etc. etc. etc.)

Doctor J

How about if you spoke with a Groundskeeper Willie Scottish accent...


www.meecrawsawft.com


Would the man be on your back then? Only a matter of time. Bastids!

Victor

Originally posted by redoxan
Would you have preferred if he called it BillClintonSoft

Last anyone heard Clinton was hard, not soft.

http://www.rte.ie/news/2004/0121/microsoft.html

Microsoft: Maybe we over-reacted
January 21, 2004

(13:43) Microsoft Corp has said it might have overreacted to the website of Canadian teenager Mike Rowe who had added the word 'soft' to his name and registered the address mikerowesoft.com.

A spokesman said 'we appreciate that Mike Rowe is a young entrepreneur who came up with a creative domain name, so we're currently in the process of resolving this matter in a way that will be fair to him and satisfy our obligations under trademark law.'

Microsoft's Canadian lawyers demanded that the 17-year-old change the name of his site, and said they would pay him $10 for his trouble.

Mr Rowe is demanding $10,000.

I actually think there is a marginal element of passing off - his name is presumably Michael Rowe, not Mike Rowe or Mike Rowesoft.

daveirl

This post has been deleted.

Crash

As far as i know from stuff i've seen they seem to be suing him on the grounds that he purposely bought the name for the purpose of cyber squatting and just to extort money from them. tbh that doesnt really seem to be the case as the kid is running a legit business out of it. i doubt they can get him on that case but they could probably get him under trademark.

Capt'n Midnight

Disagree strongly

90% of computer users have the word microsoft shoved in their faces many many times each day. And the microsoft sound Tada and the windows logo etc.. and the "designed for Microsoft Windows" logo on most new computers.

If M$ were to win this then Velux could sue them on the basis they were using windows first...

M$ have every right to defent their copyright / trademarks - they have no right to stop inventions and innovations - should they own Lindows too because it sounds a little similar ??? And if so should they then release Word on the basis that it sounds like wordperfect. ???

daveirl

This post has been deleted.

Doctor J

Originally posted by daveirl
The kid shouldn't have tried to take on MS when they asked for the domain back and offered him compensation.

They never owned the domain in the first place, how could they 'take it back'?

Granted the kid was being cheeky with the name, but $10 is a derisory offer, they should've covered all his costs (as he says, business cards, brand recognition etc) and just dealt with it quickly and fairly.

Cal

As I read elsewhere...

Why not go all the way and sue the parents for giving their child a misleading name?

Cal

Capt'n Midnight

All this stems from Hoover they lost their tradename because the term was in common use. So many corporation are paranoid 'cos of that. Coca Cola have people who do nothing all day except send notes out to people reminding them that Coke is a registered trademark (even when used in Novels & TV)

Maybe we should start using "microsoft" as a synom for software / bugs
as in - it's been microsofted (ie. the rules have changed)

Catsmokinpot

Originally posted by |.Murderer.|
ROFL.

Microsoft realy are sinking to an all time low, maybe soon they'l be like Metallica!!

rofl:D

paulj13

The reason that Microsoft offered money ($10) is in the hope that the person will counter the offer. If they come back and say “that is a ridiculous offer and I want x amount before even corresponding again”, whether they mean it or not, then M$ can call for the domain on the grounds of cyber squatting. This is a common lawyer tactic to this issue.

In this case MS have back off a little since it’s been getting so much press. However they have in the pass waited for the media to die down and then move in for the kill. This approach is based on the fact that the media will not follow the story again as its ‘yesterdays news’.

My opinion is that this is taking the issue of copyright way to far and the only really winners are a bunch of lawyers who need to justify their position in the company.

The reason that Microsoft offered money ($10) is in the hope that the person will counter the offer. If they come back and say “that is a ridiculous offer and I want x amount before even corresponding again”, whether they mean it or not, then M$ can call for the domain on the grounds of cyber squatting.

Ahh, but he had a site up before microsoft brought him to bear in regards to the name, so its hardly cyber-squatting.

The domain represents his personal name. Personally, i don't think Microsoft should win this one. Mike Rowe has more of a right to this name, due to the spelling of the domain. But i could be over-ruled in this :dunno:

davil

Originally posted by daveirl
Lindows isn't innovative, it's a flawed implementation of an existing OS. Possible more insecure than Windows and that's saying something.

If not for this quote I would have thought you were working for the man Dave.

Anyway I think that Microsoft should lose too. DOWN WITH MICROSOFT I SAY. They deserve it for their lawyers' underhanded tactics. Plus the kid has a right to use his own name in his web address, perhaps he never heard of Microsoft [I swear, it is possible] - either way, hopefully he gets away with his domain name or a load of cash. Good lad.

davil

Oh yeah, bloody sure it's anti-MS bias. With everything they put other companies and us consumers through they deserve to lose ALL their money. And they deserve a bit of bias. Hopefully a jury (if it comes to that) will be biased against them. [bear in mind I know f.all about law and there probably wouldn't even be a jury in a case like that, but I don't know that.]

GreeBo

do you not think that you having a silly signature like that "Down with microsoft" and then linking to his site that you are hurting his case?

The whole point is that he is nothing to do with Microsoft, wants nothing to do with them and wants his own site left alone.

You are helping Microsoft to prove that he was domain squatting to get ca$h.

Cal

If you are giong to link to his site you should get the url right!!!!:ninja:

davil

Oh I'm sure that I'm hurting his case, seeing as Microsoft's Lawyers look at this site every day religiously and take my sig on board. Look I'm not going to get into an argument here-been there, done that. I will change my sig because this guy deserves support. But I don't think that the 'Down with Microsoft' is inappropriate. This is what I personally believe should happen. Again with the lack of freedom of speech. This boards thing is no fun if I can't even express my opinion

You are helping Microsoft to prove that he was domain squatting to get ca$h.

Sure I am, yeah. Can you see the bigger picture at all?

eth0_

AFAIK you can have your copyright taken off you if you do nothing to protect it, which could easily extend to phonetically infringing copyright, so MS are within their rights. Petty, but within their rights.
The kid was STUPID, who in their right mind would respond to a box of legal documents MS have fed ex'd to them WITHOUT consulting a lawyer? He deserves this, it'll teach him to think before he answers.

daveirl

This post has been deleted.

GreeBo

Originally posted by davil

Sure I am, yeah. Can you see the bigger picture at all?

Well the guy is trying to prove that he setup the website as a legitimate business and not as some means of getting money from Microsoft.

Adding slogans saying "Down with microsoft" beside an (incorrect) link to his website does nothing to help him.:dunno:

Doctor J

I imagine it's only a matter of time before Microsoft start sueing people with Multiple Sclerosis, claiming copyright infringement.

parasite

settled now :dunno: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/3429485.stm

scojones

he got an x-box.

Capt'n Midnight

But the story is not over yet..

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3382073018

This is your chance to own a piece of Internet history. This is the book shown on TV, Internet, magazines and talked about on the radio and seen by millions of people world-wide. I am selling the WIPO book with the 25-page letter I received from Microsoft's lawyers on January 14/2004. I have two copies of these and I will be keeping one for my own personal memoirs. This inch-thick book contains copies of web pages, registrations, trade marks, other WIPO cases, emails between me and Microsoft's lawyers and much more. There are 27 annexes filled with information. This package also comes with the 25-page complaint transmittal coversheet that was sent with the inch-thick book. In this letter you can find policies, rules, supplemental rules, model responses, copy of complaint and much more. Take advantage of this once in a lifetime opportunity.

Current bid US $117,400.00

http://reports.internic.net/cgi/whois?whois_nic=www.mikeroweforums.com&type=domain

Cal

If you run it at GoDaddy

You get: -

Registrant: Michael Rowe 131 - 883 Van Isle Way Vancouver, British Columbia V9B5R8 Canada Registered through: GoDaddy.com (http://www.godaddy.com)

Domain Name: MIKEROWEFORUMS.COM Created on: 22-Jan-04 Expires on: 22-Jan-05 Last Updated on: 22-Jan-04


Which seems in order.

Cal

stormkeeper

Originally posted by Capt'n Midnight
But the story is not over yet..

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3382073018



Current bid US $117,400.00

http://reports.internic.net/cgi/whois?whois_nic=www.mikeroweforums.com&type=domain

Current Bid: US $20,560,100.00 <--- That's the new current bid for that book yokey... 20.6 million squid... That's like winning the lotto twice over!

Cal

I thought it was too good to be true.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3382073018

Cal

stormkeeper

That's an, um... Modest sum (or a drop in the ocean compared to the 20.6 mill that was asked).