By Munir Kotadia, 20 January 2004 09:00
NEWS Microsoft has set its lawyers onto a 17-year-old software writer from Vancouver, called Mike Rowe, because he has registered MikeRoweSoft.com, which the company said infringes on its trademark rights.
Mike Rowe, who registered the domain name in August 2003, received an email from Microsoft's lawyers three months later asking him to transfer the domain name to Microsoft.
They also offered to pay him a "settlement" of $10, which is the cost of his original registration fee.
Rowe said: "I was surprised that they would offer such a little amount of money to persuade me to hand my domain over." Rowe wrote back telling them that he had worked hard on the site and spent money printing stationery, but would be willing to give it up for $10,000. In response, he received a 25-page letter explaining why Microsoft's customers could get confused between his site and their site.
According to Rowe's Web site, which is straining to stay online because so many people are dropping in to wish him well, Microsoft accused him of setting up the site only because he had the intention to sell the domain for a large cash settlement.
"This is not the case. I never thought my name would cause Microsoft to take this course of action against me. I just thought it was a good name for my small part-time business," said Rowe.
Microsoft was not immediately available for comment.
Munir Kotadia writes for ZDNet UK
Comments
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1. G Audunsson
It is very common to make fun of US citizens for bad geography knowledge, but it looks like others might also need to brush up on theirs. I doubt Canadians are too happy to be identified as US citizens. Or, maybe I am making fool of myself and Mike Rowe is actually a US citizen who just happens to live in Vancouver, Canada?
2. S Norrena
As a Canadian, I 100% agree with Audunsson. We do not like to be refered to as Americans. Mike Rowe is a Canadian.
3. Mike Rowe
I heard Mike Rowe eats babies. That's what I heard.
4. Lord Oxford
7 hours B4U...
Mickrowesoft.com registered successfully
5. anonymous
Actually, Mike Rowe Lives in Langford, a municipality just outside of Victoria BC. Victoria, is a 20 minute drive, a 1.5 hour ferry ride, and then another 20 min drive away from Vancouver
6. NonAmerican
American corporations are greedy protectionists which wish others ill.
7. C M Wolfe
American corporations want to protect copy and patent rights. We buy yours and you buy ours. If either one stops buying everyone pays the penalty via loss of jobs and income.
As for geography, Vancouver is a popular name and there are several cities with that name worldwide. Even in Washington state.
8. Mark Feeney
Is Canada even a country? In France they have shops called C and A - that's pretty similar so does that infringe Canada's rights to be seen as a country instead of a chain of shops?
Based on Mike's (reported) settlement with Microsoft each Candanian citizen is probably entitled to a pair of end of line last season socks.