Mike Rowe angers Microsoft
19th January 2004 by Simon
This is too funny/ridiculous/unbelievable.
A 17-year old, called Mike Rowe, decided to form a company to do some part time computer work through. Given his name, he named his company MikeRoweSoft and therefore bought the domain MikeRoweSoft.com*.
The legal eagles at Smart & Biggar, Microsoft’s Canadian lawyers picked up this domain registration and wrote to him requesting him to close it down. After some back and forth between the two parties, Mike has now reached a point where a FedEx Priority Overnight package containing a book over an inch thick with a 25 page letter accusing him of always having the intention to sell the domain name to Microsoft for a large cash settlement. Mike is adamant this isn’t the case - and I have no reason not to believe him, he is using name after all, and the chances of confusion are minimal.
I hold out hope that high profile legal action like this and that of the RIAA taking legal action against 12 year old girls will make the general public aware of how on occasions, over keen, highly paid lawyer get carried away. Reaction of the public is one of only things that will get company exec to reign in their law firms and get them to desist their bullying attitudes.
* - Due to the large amount of traffic he is currently getting after press exposure, Mike’s site is unavailable - perversely bringing the effect Microsoft was trying to achieve by instructing lawyers. It’s at times like this that Google cached version’s come in to their own.
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@@What about this microsoft@@
I think Microsoft Corp. has no right to do what it is doing with Mike.
This young man has all the right to call his website after his name. He is a kid who is working in the “soft” business. He is a computer geek and his name is Mike Rowe. He has all the right to come up with the domain name that contains his name and an extra word that describes the nature of his business.
I will say that if Microsoft goes too far in bushing this kid to give up his creativity broken-hearted, I will be the first to boycott this big bullying company. I like Microsoft now and I use and buy their products but if they were to do something unethical to this Mike Rowe I will have no hard time looking for a replacement.
If Bill Gates deserved all this wealth for his ideas and luck then this 17 yrs old deserves either his freedom to keep his domain name or be compensated with what satisfies him. Mike row has the right to keep his domain name if he chooses to, but if he accepts a money offer settlement then he can ask for whatever sum he wants. After all nobody forces Microsoft to reduce their products? high prices.
I hope Microsoft considers Compensating this smart boy fairly.