Microsoft Sues 17 Year Old Over Use of Own Name.

[Go3iverson]

http://www.cnn.com/2004/TECH/interne....ap/index.html

Pretty slick, huh?

[Urbansory]

There like Disney, so uptight with their copyrights... but if they want to hold that name, I'm not surprised they did it at all. Doesn't do much for their PR though.

[Go3iverson]

I could understand it if the person's name wasn't so close to the copyrighted trademark, but he obviously works with software/computers and his name works in this case. If the site was bashing Microsoft, I could see it as well, but this just seems kinda lame. Offering him $10 is just a slap in the face from one of the biggest corporations in the world.

[cockneygeezer]

http://www.cnn.com/2004/TECH/interne....ap/index.html

Pretty slick, huh?

Pathetic, absolutely pathetic. Typical American lawyer bullsh*t. Is that the answer to everything in the USA? Sue them?

It's not like that Mike Rowe (soft) name is spelt the same as Microsoft™ is it! Ain't the USA meant to be the land of the Free, democracy and all that, and yet, if you don't conform, i.e. change your name or else, you'll be sued?

All Mike R. has to do is drop the 'soft' in his URL, but what happen to consumer rights? Copyright and Trademarks are such a fine line issue and so complex it gives me a headache.

At the end of the day, if Mike R. doesn't make a dime directly off the name Microsoft, there's nothing really Microsoft can do...

Note: All instances of Microsoft™ are a trademark of Microsoft Corporation. (Don't want to get sue now do I? Tut)

[Go3iverson]

That's why I don't use their product. I'm afraid they'll sue me for mentioning the name without their concent.

[MacNEO]

Microsoft is like the Matrix, nothing but controlling the world. Glad I don't need Windoze.

[weaselworld]

Well Rowe could've helped himself a bit by not trying to be cute and asking for $10,000. If I were 17 and noticed that Microsoft had taken a negative interest in me, I think I might have consulted someone before making any move against the giant, and it surely doesn't seem like he talked to his parents or a lawyer or anything. It says "'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.'" I seriously doubt that anyone would advise him to take that position. It sounds to me like he was just doing it to be a butt, which isn't a smart thing to do.

You can see that no one was actually getting sued until the kid decided to poke the tiger with a stick. While I don't condone Microsoft's actions, and do think it was ugly to offer $10, Rowe should've just quit while he was ahead or gotten some actual legal advice. And if he did....well....hopefully he won't be taking that lawyer to court.

[Trip]

Micro$oft sucks.