mikerowesoft.com - the public vote

[dannylee]

Im sure everyone has heard about Mike Rowe and his battle with Microsoft! What do you think? Post here or alternatively post at mikerowesoft.co.uk where a forum has been setup for the sole purpose of supporting Mike!

[soccer362001]

I know I'm not a copyright genuis but M$ should not be able to take his domain.

[spufi]

It's an asinine move on Mocrosoft's part, but they have more money so they very well could win the case in the end.

[Compguy Pete]

I have to admit I have never heard of this guy before.

However what I will say is this... IF he was doing something with his site that infringed on MS. Then yes by all means he should be in a world of hurt.

MS is called M$ for a reason they make some of the worlds best software. I have my own issues with software pricing as a system builder. However try to give a newbie a new computer with Linux and try to tell me Windows sucks.

What was his site about?

[dannylee]

He had/has as web development website..selling small website builds!

[dannylee]

Originally posted by spufi
It's an asinine move on Mocrosoft's part, but they have more money so they very well could win the case in the end.

maybe not..they guys name is after all Mike Rowe...im sure he has some legal stance with that?!

[pyro]

Why'd he pick that name in the first place? It seems a domain like that would be more appropriate for a software developer than a web developer... Perhaps there are two sides to this story?

Signed,
Not a fan of Microsoft

[iniquity101]

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.
I can see where MS are coming from if he says that...


but
Microsoft is now telling reporters that it may have taken the case "too seriously" after all

[AdamGundry]

For those who have no idea what this is about, there is an article here: http://www.theregister.com/content/6/34955.html

Alternatively check out Mike's website: http://mikerowesoft.com/

IANAL, but shouldn't this be a trademark infringement, not a copyright violation as the article indicates? Whatever it is, I think legal action is excessive and unjustified.

Adam

[pyro]

Thanks for the link, Adam.

I was curious if he did, indeed, choose the domain name because of it's similarity (at least, phonetically) to Microsoft. Either way, I agree that MS's claims are ungrounded...

I found this rather humerous. It is quoted from the site Adam linked to:
And so he should. 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.

[Compguy Pete]

Well from reading the article at the Register I can see whats going on.

1. He thought hey if I put SOFT at the end of my name it sounds like microsoft. (very cute and funny)

2. MS offered him Fair market value for the domain name. $10.00 Canadian it looks like.
Mike then counter offered that he wanted 10K, which looks like he only bought the domain for the purpose of making money.

He could have taken the $10 check Kept it for a momeno of the ordeal and then bought MikeRowe.com and been done with it.

cybersquatting isn't term that we've heard in a while but it still happens. good bad or ugly this guy was in the wrong for asking for that much money.

Lesson learned - a website can be moved and without anythign lost in most cases. I could see the case being made for search engine placement IF he was at the top when you searched for WEB DEVELOPERS or Websites.

Whatever happens here I'm sure Bart Simson would have a good time calling Moe's asking for him.

[AdamBrill]

IMO, it was dumb of him to do it in the first place. He pretty obviously picked the name mostly just because it sounds like Microsoft. You don't notice anyone else putting "soft" at the end of their name for their business name... If he wins, I'm going to go start "Best Bye".

Pretty soon you won't know what company your actually at because there will be 100 named just slightly different.

In this case, it appears that he did it just because it sounds like Microsoft, and if so, I would have to say that I don't agree that he should be able to keep the domain.

[Askalon]

I think he has all rights to that domain. I don't care what the phonic's say. It is spelled differnt and therefore M$ has no legal right to it. Sure, maybe it wasn't the most mature thing, but he is only 17. I remember being 17 and I didn't always do the most mature things.

M$ should have asked him just put in a disclaimer and be done with it. I mean come on, this just puts a black eye on M$ for suing a 17 year old kid because of his name and he put soft on the end of it.

yes, i am all M$ fan as well.

[Compguy Pete]

Ya but look at what happen to GoogleGear.com They had to stop operating on that domain.

The issue is Mike a Cybersquatter?

[Robert Wellock]

That is because Google appeared as a text string whereas Mike Rowe is his own name Microsoft will probably win because a local inkjet recycling company company, formally: "Inkjets-R-us" now "AJB-Inkjets" was going to be bankrupted by 'Toys "R" us'.

But just think how many IT related companies use xxsoft in there name.

Obviously he did it on purpose like I did with xhtmlcoder in 1999 so the W3C can come sue me if they want though XHTML™ is the registered trademark for the W3C whereas xhtmlcoder is my registered trademark.

[Compguy Pete]

Robert... I totally argee.

I to am in a much similar situation. In my signature I have MonetInternet.com which is a site I own. MonetMobile.com is the site by the company I sell for...

I have also bought a number of related names to this service. Now will there come a day when I might get a similar letter. You betcha at some point it will. However I'll handle it much better than Mike did.

[PeOfEo]

he picked the software name because of microsoft correct, he thought it was original because it was his name right? I do not know the full story, but if that is the case he should find a new name. This is similar to that whole lyndows thing, they have a trade mark on that name it is theirs.

[Askalon]

M$ has no trademarks on the name Lindows. This has been and is being proven in court. Lindows does not equal Windows just as mikerowesoft does not equal mircosoft. I do not think anyone will get the two mixed up by accident.

Is Mike a cybersquatter? no, I do not think he is. Misguided? maybe. He just used his name, added soft to the end and there ya go. Phonically yes it sounds the same, but will anyone get the two mixed up? I highly doubt it. last time I checked, M$ did not have the word "soft" trademarked. Even if they tried, i think it would be blocked, otherwise we would all be paying Webster (or Webster would be paying a lot of other people).

This kind of reminds me of the original GI Joe action figures (they are NOT dolls!). They tried to patent them but got refused as they could not patent something so common as the human body (much like words). They then added a scar to his face. That is what they patented!

totally unrelated? Yes. Useless fact? Yes. Am I just mumbling along? Yes.

Have fun all.

[PeOfEo]

you forget that lindows was not just a name, it was a complet rip off of windows, it looked and acted very similarly they just left out a ton of code for compadability so it ran faster. That is what I have read on that subject. That is why ms files suit, it was just like their product, a complete rip. (not to say ms is an angel and has never stolen anything)

[James L.]

Hey all,

I'll shed a bit of light as Mike Rowe is from my neck of the woods so the papers here have picked it up in detail.

Mike Rowe is a 17 year old high school student, who does some comp sci stuff in high school and has a little hobby doing web design as a part time job (apparently he earned < $1000 Canadian at it last year)... so, basically we have a kid who enjoys working with computers, earning under $100 a month, and he names a site after himself, but puts the word soft at the end.

Hardly the devil... didn't stop M$ from threatening to sue him though. M$ is out to win another telling court battle. I wonder what child they will sue next.

lord knows that there have been enough "M$ sucks/M$ rocks debates" on this board lately. I personally don't like a lot of things about them (especially that dancing ape Steve Ballmer), but that aside this was a stupid p.r. move on their part. What started as a billion dollar organization sending high priced lawyers after a high school kid in a small town who likes to do some web design has now made CNN!