Homonyms - not that there's anything wrong with that...
 

What's in a name?

A whole lot if your name is "Microsoft"
You want to own every homonym you can think of.
And if some kid thinks of a new one - even if it's his name - you damn well gotta own that one too.

As you know, I don't think in terms of "right and wrong" - I think in terms of "power relationships"

So I'm OK with strongarm tactics. They have made the world go around since there was a world to go around. It's called Survival of the Fittest"...

......................................

Microsoft Upset Over Teenager's Site

Date: 1/19/2004


(Article Central) Software giant Microsoft is reportedly preparing legal action against a Canadian teenager with a Web site whose name sounds very similar to Microsoft's.
British Columbia high school student Mike Rowe chose the Web site address mikerowesoft.com to host his Web site design company, considering the name an amusing play on words. According to Vancouver newspaper reports, however, Rowe was contacted by Microsoft's attorneys and asked to give up the domain.

Rowe wrote to the company, asking to be compensated for the domain, and was contacted again by Microsoft's lawyers, who offered him $10 US. He wrote back, asking for $10,000.

Last week, Rowe received a 25-page letter from the company accusing him of trying to force Microsoft into giving him a large settlement. He says he didn't want to get anything out of the company, but was sort of upset by the particularly low offer.

Rowe is reportedly holding his ground, and says a lawyer has offered to advise him for free.

Microsoft says it has been working to reach an agreeable resolution with Rowe and remains hopeful that the matter can be resolved in good faith.

(thewhir.com)

I'm going to register Mycocksoft.com

My_Crow's_Offed.com

/me registers www.coahk.com

the whole domain name thing is stupid. It's obvious to anyone with a little amount of brains that it's a guy's name.

especially if his name is in the byline of the site.

and they offered him ten lousy dollars? That'll hardly cover the cost of registering a new domain!

That is a clever domain name. You would think microsoft would enjoy that, considering imitation is the most sincere form of flattery. They should offer to pay him for microsoft advertisements on his website. Then they would both win.

Eventually everyone will in some way be connected to a copyright lawsuit of this kind if the legal trend continues in favor of the corporations. To hell with the corporations, and I said it earlier, Mike Rowe needs to install a parody website on that URL with some sort of political message. I'm not sure about Canadian law, but here in the states, the Supreme Court has upheld satire and parody material that makes use of registered names as free speech under the 1st Amendment.

*on an aside*
Do you think Bill Gates' wife calls him "Mr. Microsoft" in bed?

No I don't :P. Probably King or something.

This is pretty pathetic of MS though, it's not like the domain was doing them any harm.

sounds pretty lame and a waste of resources all the way around...

The nerve of MS!!!! Seems just a tad bit ridiculous for them to be chasing down this kid, to secure a name THAT ISN'T EVEN THE MS NAME. Shit!!! Give the kid a break. I think he is very smart to fight this one out. I don't see that MS has a case against the kid since it is his own name.

Friggin Lawyers. They probably have a whole department devoted to running down this crap.

just wait until Amy Zahn and Eve Bay build web sites.

I agree that makes good sense to me.

And give me a break telling him to give up his website and only offering him $10 to compensate for the hassle of coming up with, and registering a new name, redoing any advertising he had, and all of the other things that go along with running an online business. What an insult; I think asking for 10,000 is just as bad of an insult, but they should have at least offered him a few hundred if they really wanted the site name. I don't think that would break the Microsoft bank.

Best thread title ever.
Nice one, <b>ART</b>