01.19.04 Microsoft vs Mike Rowe
Microsoft takes on teen's site MikeRoweSoft.com
Monday, January 19, 2004
Posted: 11:34 PM EST (0434 GMT)
VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) --
It's Microsoft versus Mike Rowe-soft.
Rowe, a 17-year-old high school senior
and Web designer from Victoria, has angered the software giant by
registering an Internet site with the address www.MikeRoweSoft.com.
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"Since my name is Mike Rowe, I thought it
would be funny to add 'soft' to the end of it," said Rowe.
Microsoft, however, is not amused.
It has demanded that he give up his domain
name. In November, Rowe received a letter from Microsoft's Canadian
lawyers informing him he was committing copyright infringement.
"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."
Microsoft 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."
Rowe is 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.
http://www.cnn.com/2004/TECH/internet/01/19/offbeat.mike.rowe.soft.ap
Korrekt
purchased the below website domain names to assist the
defense of Mike Rowe and his now famous domain name
www.mikerowesoft.com. Korrekt let these domains expire after Microsoft decided
to back off.
bemicrosoft.com
controlmicrosoft.com
correctmicrosoft.com
gillbates.com
ismicrosoft.com
korrektmicrosoft.com
microsft.info
microsoft4u.com
microsoftcat.com
microsoftdog.com
mikrosft.com
mikrosft.info
mikrosft.net
mikrosft.org
mikrosft.us
mikrosoft.info
mikrosofty.com
mikrosofty.info
mikrosofty.net
mikrosofty.org
mikrosofty.us
onemicrosoft.com
ownmicrsoft.com
ytfosorcim.com
ytfosorcim.net
ytfosorcim.org
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