Microsoft Takes on Teen Over Web Site (mikerowesoft.com)
 

Microsoft Takes on Teen Over Web Site
The Associated Press
VANCOUVER, British Columbia

Mike Rowe thinks it's funny that his catchy name for a Web site design company sounds a lot like Microsoft.

The software giant, however, is not amused.

"Since my name is Mike Rowe, I thought it would be funny to add 'soft' to the end of it," said Rowe, a 17-year-old computer geek and Grade 12 student in Victoria, British Columbia.

Microsoft Corp. and its attorneys have demanded that he give up his domain name, the Vancouver Province newspaper reported Sunday.

Rowe registered the name in August. In November, he received a letter from Microsoft's Canadian lawyers, Smart & Biggar, informing him he was committing copyright infringement.

He was advised to transfer the name to the Redmond, Wash.-based corporation.

"I didn't think they would get all their high-priced lawyers to come after me," Rowe said.

He wrote back asking to be compensated for giving up his name. Microsoft's lawyers offered him $10 in U.S. funds. Then he asked for $10,000.

On Thursday, he received a 25-page letter accusing him of trying to force Microsoft into giving him a large settlement.

"I never even thought of getting anything out of them," he said, adding that he only asked for the $10,000 because he was "sort of mad at them for only offering 10 bucks."

He said family and friends are backing him and a lawyer has offered to advise him for free.

He's also keeping his sense of humor.

"It's not their name. It's my name. I just think it's kind of funny that they'd go after a 17-year-old," Rowe said.

Company spokesman Jim Desler said Sunday, "Microsoft has been in communication with Mr. Rowe in a good faith effort to reach a mutually agreeable resolution. And we remain hopeful we can resolve this issue to everyone's satisfaction."

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On the web:

www.mikerowesoft.com

www.microsoft.com

Heard about that on the local news today... Kid wants money.. what a prick :1orglaugh

Oh well, if he can get anything out of it, he might as well try. God knows I would.

haha, that is pretty funny. I hope he gets something decent out of it. Just too fuck with Microsoft.

Well that is actually quiet funny. I can however understand Microsoft?s concerns, maybe not at the current state but at future content or ownership of the domain name.

Did you check out the 17 year olds PORTFOLIO?

Some of his designs are better than ALOT of adult sites I've seen.

:thumbsup

I think Bill Gates is scared of the competition. He should just give the kid a job in the Micro$oft design department and be done with it.

Funny stuff :1orglaugh

hahahahahahahahaha that's hi-la-rious!

I gotta give the kid kudos. If my name had been Mike Rowe, I'd pretty much be telling them to GFY. I'd set up a site for softcore porn to give me a reason to have the name. Be nice for Microsoft to be on the losing end of a lawsuit - nice way for them to start their year.

Maybe someone should send this kid to go work for Acacia, hehe.

yes he is clearly a threat :1orglaugh

Bump for the kid :thumbsup

I think they're just worried that this kid has more talent than them and they don't want to get outdone by a 17 year old. All I've got to say is kudos to Mike!

Phonetics is a threat now? I think this guy should be allowed to keep his domain name - after all it is HIS name. It was only a matter of time before there was a Mike Rowe Software Designer.

They're saying that people might confuse frontpage with his site? If they're too stupid to find their way to Microsoft's site for the instructions to get the software, they probably wouldn't have found it anyway.

Give it up Microsoft, stop bullying the little guys. You can clearly see that the content of this site was put together as a portfolio to gain more work, and not to sell for a profit!

I'm hoping some lawyer takes him on Pro bono and countersues Microsoft for damages to his reputation.

If it plays out in court and the press the boy will get a ton of work and maybe a bit of cash from M$.

$10? Such generosity, no wonder Bill Gates is rich. Hehe did you see his "Click here to enter the forum and share your feelings" link? It goes straight to phpbb install page.

you guys are looking at it for the consumers view of Microsoft has to much money... blah. but, from a business stand point your job is it protect you brand if you ran MS you'd do everything in your power to protect your name or brand. if not people like this kid would just make you company look band spreading rumors. AOL does it all the time you basically can't register any domain with AOL in it. I'd have to agree with MS on this, even if he admits it or not his intent was to register a MS name and then to as for $10k, there is no way he'll win.

it's the same reason why you can't name your company City Bank cause it would confuse consumers with Citibank

why do you even try LOL. It's GFY for christ's sake. i saw this post a long time ago thinking the same thing.

:1orglaugh

He only said he wanted money after Microsoft tried to make him turn the domain over to them. Fuck Microsoft.

good on the kid, he has every right to use his own name, if M$ came aster me id ask for $10000 too, just as a message to go fuck themselves.

I bet he got some good publicity out of this though!

This is different though, the guy's name is "Mike Rowe" and he's a website designer.

a). Microsoft cannot prevent him using his name as part of his domain name, even if it contrevenes their brand.
b). Microsoft doesn't design websites, and you can clearly see from his site that this is his business
c). Microsoft is pinning their case on "the surfer might confuse Microsoft Frontpage and its ability to create web pages with this guy who designs websites". Lame case!

I must say that much as I bet Microsoft wins this, I hope that Mike wins it.

ahh but the boy's name is actually mike rowe...does mr gates own the word soft?

:2 cents: for all the money microsoft will spend on lawyers to fight this, they would have gotten more value from giving the kid a free computer, a small college scholorship and a press release.

Yeah, his site got taken down after his ISP couldn't handle the 250,000 visitors. He had to go to another provider.

He should sue them for loss of business because of the downtime he suffered.

I'm betting that's what will happen next.

Not going to happen. He'd actually have to prove that having his page taken down caused him financial loss. Those 250 thousand visitors were just curious people coming to see what the site was all about.

And well, he hasn't done a design since november, so i can't see this guy losing heaps of customers for a few days of downtime.

:winkwink:

Hope he gets to keep the domain though.

Isn't it illegal for an under 18 year old to own a domain name? :helpme

I don't know how much damage Microsoft can do since he is only 17, and I don't know if his parents can be held liable.

I remember when I screwed eFront Media back in 2000 they tried to get me on breach of NDA but I was under 18 and they never had my parents cosign my contract so basically it worked out I heard that I would be free and clear.

Also this is Canadian court, there is never large settlements. They are usually resonable :(

i nearly bought mikerosoft.com years ago was worried bout that sort of shit so left it alone.

I hope he gets some money from microsoft, that article is really amusing :)

Interesting that you mention that. Check this out, about mikerosoft.ca

http://www.geek.com/news/geeknews/20...0108023374.htm
http://www.mikerosoft.ca

I would have asked for 100k and now that its new the kid will get the 10k to shut it up so as not to make them look like a big bully.

I'd like the kid to get the 10G ;)

Wow, going to name my next kid amerikaonline think he or she would be able to keep the domain?

V

FIGHT THE POWER! lol, but its the kid's name, MS is gonna lose this one.

Yes, he needs to register MikeRoweSoftporn now and push playboy.