this poor kid, Microsoft went after him, Asswipes

His name is Mike Rowe and he has a little software Company

http://www.mikerowesoft.com/

If the guys name is Mike Rowe I can't see microsoft winning.

Hrmm.
They have a couple of points. It *does* sound just like their name when spoken, and his first response to them *was* to demand money for the domain rather than a simple "no".
They say his intention all along was to extort a selling price for exploiting their name and they've got a good case to prove that simply by his own emails.

Still, it's petty. But lawyers are hired to do petty things, *sigh*. I wonder if Bill even knows about this. Probably not.

there's also one called http://mikerosoftxp.com

My friend said Microsoft dropped it. The kid had to get a lawyer though.



Last edited by jimmyf at Jan 20 2004, 09:11 PM

mikerowesoft.com is 1k on alexa today

i looked up mikerowsoft.com but it was taken :angry:

He's just a smartassed cybersquatter...defense fund=free money.

http://www.reuters.co.uk/newsArticle.jhtml...02&section=news

Microsoft lightens up on teen's Web site
Tue 20 January, 2004 20:24

TORONTO (Reuters) - Microsoft has indicated it may have overreacted to the Web site of Canadian teenager Mike Rowe who added the word "soft" to his name and registered the address mikerowesoft.com.

"We take our trademark seriously, but in this case maybe a little too seriously," Microsoft spokesman Jim Desler 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," Desler said



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