Slashdot Mirror
Microsoft Agrees Settlement Over MikeRoweSoft.com
GillBates0 writes "CNN's reporting that Microsoft Corp has settled with Mike Rowe, persuading the teenager to give up his domain name in exchange for costs of changing the existing domain to a new Web site, Microsoft certification training, an Xbox, an invitation to a technology festival at Redmond and some other gifts. Includes a choice quote from Microsoft spokesman Jim Desler: 'We wanted to do this in a way that's going to foster his interest in technology'. Mike had received a 25-page letter from Microsoft informing him he was committing copyright infringement, and threatening legal action, as reported earlier on Slashdot."
I would have thought the Microsoft would have wanted some change to the name of the company too? Surely the same problems will arise if he's still calling his business/site Mike Rowe Soft or whatever?
Yes, but since he had fallen in the trap of offering to sell the domain for a good amount of money, he was pretty much done for. This is probably the best option he could go for, but I have to agree that it would have been interesting to see the developments of this story if Mike had chosen otherwise.
DrkBr
How far does this extend? Sure, you can sue phonetic copies, but what if someone makes a macrohard.com? Is that infringement as well? Or maybe micrsoft.com, or some other creative misspelling... What are the boundaries for this type of suit?
------- "A true friend stabs you in the front." -Eliot
Master Rowe gets a nice toy or two, and has a career track ahead of him.
In the end, everyone smiles but the lawyers. Good.
This is my post. There are many others like it. If you don't like what you read here, go try one of the others.
mikerowesoft is not a near miss. Its a very far miss at best, plus its his own damn name. I think MS was sort of out of line on this one, though he provoked them by posting (at least some at the time I saw the site) anti-MS content on the site. Shows that corporations (whether legally or though monetary means) are far more powerful than any individual which may not be a good thing.
"You can now flame me, I am full of love,"
One odd thing: I keep reading about copyright violations in these stories, but shouldn't Microsoft's claims be trademark-related? Copyright doesn't apply to a business name as far as I know.
Regarding the settlement: it mentions the MCSE, the XBox and so forth, but I'm guessing there's money in there somewhere, too. This was a very bad PR situation for Microsoft. Since Mike had the PR on his side, yet is giving up the domain, I'm guessing he got more than just some courses, plane tickets and a game console in return.
That doesn't mean it was in bad faith, like MS claimed. The kid had an actual business running. He simply decided to make a counteroffer when they came up to him. Had they not, he would've run the site all the same. He wasn't cybersquatting
---
Never criticize religion on Slashdot. You will be modded down for "Troll" no matter how factual it is.
I have all 3 of the current "big 3" systems.
I started with a GC, and its still may favorite...the first party stuff can't be touched, and for multiplayer (Smash Bros, Monkey Ball 2, Mario Kart) and other exclusives (the first Rogue Squadron game on it, at least) make it the last one I'd give up.
Then I got a PS2...ugh. I got it for WDL:Thundertanks, hoping it would be another "Battle Tanx", but it sucked. For a while its saving grace was GTA3 and GTA:VC, but now it's only the thought that the sequel to those will be on this system first that have me keep it around. There are some other good games, but overall the gem/shovelware ratio is way too small to justify the expense of the system. I really think that "first mover advantage" combined with the leverage of playing PSone games (which in turn had a huge first mover advantage) as well as being untouchable for specific genres I don't care about (sports, RPGs) are what make this system the leader.
I got an Xbox lastly, and its made a tremendous impression on me. It follows in the Microsoft tradition of not really innovating much, but copying some of the very best parts of other systems. It's a buttugly huge console but it has the best controllers (the S-version, the original were just clones + minor enhancements and great enlargements of what the DC had) and some of the games are sweet...Halo and Crimson Skies in particular. It is very likely THE biggest horsepower console out now, and it shows.
So while my heart is still with Nintendo, I've really been impressed with what Xbox has done. And will probably never really forgive PS2 for the dumbness of only putting 2 controller ports on without a multitap...
SO YOU'RE GOING TO DIE: The Comic for Dealing with Death
This was in 1996, I was 14, and I registered gamespotlight.com. I then e-mailed gamespot.com and asked them if they had a problem with it, and they said in fact they did (I was surprised for some reason). They offered to pay me to transfer the domain name, and rather than taking the money, I just did it for free: back then internic let you transfer domains because of trademark disputes for free.
The good deed was graciously recieved. After meeting up with some of the guys at E3, GameSpot then offered me a paid summer internship in San Francisco when I was 16.
Bam! Those were the good ol' days.
- Philosopistry
Philosophistry
Probably already been posted, but I wonder how these guys are managing to survive.
Ok, so the domains mikeroesoft.org, .info, .biz, and .us are open. If I have been reading things correctly and I register these, then I get a free Xbox and certification?
SIGFAULT
Why does Microsoft want to own MikeRoweSoft.com? Why didn't they just ask Mike to change MikeRoweSoft.com to a page saying "MikeRoweSoft.com has been renamed/moved to _MikeRoweForums.com_ to avoid confusion with the _Microsoft Corporation_."?
The shareholder is always right.
Actually in our country that is just a good way to make money. You either copyright an idea or reserve a domain and then you sell the rights for a ton of money to someone who can actually do something with it. It's not bad faith its simply good business. Acquire something that you think will be sellable someday, then hold out till you get an offer you like.