Spring Break
Microsoft had no right to take domain name
By: Lauren Esposito
Issue date: 2/6/04 Section: Opinion
Basically, Microsoft did not give its consumers credit for knowing the name of the software they use on a daily basis. It is actually stating that the company considers its consumers quite dense, as they may become confused as to site is the correct one in helping them with their software troubles.
"We take our trademark seriously, but in this case maybe a little too seriously," said Microsoft spokesman Jim Desler. "That said, we appreciate that Mike Rowe is a young entrepreneur who came up with a creative domain name."
Once Microsoft determined that it may have taken the domain name case one step too far, it publicly admitted to overreacting. Rather than taking advantage of an average high school student, Microsoft discovered that its young adversary was rather creative and savvy.
With all of the quarreling over this particular domain name, Microsoft may have developed more problems than if they had just left the whole thing alone.
Microsoft's legal department may be busier than it anticipated during the next few months because in the past few weeks, all the top-level domain extensions for MikeRoweSoft (.co.uk, .net, .org and .tv) have been snapped up, and MikeRoweSoft.tv has been put up for sale on eBay.
As an agreement had been reached between Rowe and Microsoft last week, it was by far a win for the little man over the bigger corporation. In exchange for the domain name, Microsoft will pay for Rowe's expenses, the cost of switching over to a new site, provide training for certification on Microsoft's products, a subscription to Microsoft's developer program Web site, and an XBOX video game console with games, as well as an invitation to bring his parents along for a visit to Microsoft's Redmond, Wash., headquarters for the company's annual technology fair.
If there was truly an infringement on a trademark name, then, action should take place to rectify the problem. But in this case, there was no problem to begin with - just one that was thought up by some big-time corporate lawyers who made a situation for their company worse than what it was to start.
"We take our trademark seriously, but in this case maybe a little too seriously," said Microsoft spokesman Jim Desler. "That said, we appreciate that Mike Rowe is a young entrepreneur who came up with a creative domain name."
Once Microsoft determined that it may have taken the domain name case one step too far, it publicly admitted to overreacting. Rather than taking advantage of an average high school student, Microsoft discovered that its young adversary was rather creative and savvy.
With all of the quarreling over this particular domain name, Microsoft may have developed more problems than if they had just left the whole thing alone.
Microsoft's legal department may be busier than it anticipated during the next few months because in the past few weeks, all the top-level domain extensions for MikeRoweSoft (.co.uk, .net, .org and .tv) have been snapped up, and MikeRoweSoft.tv has been put up for sale on eBay.
As an agreement had been reached between Rowe and Microsoft last week, it was by far a win for the little man over the bigger corporation. In exchange for the domain name, Microsoft will pay for Rowe's expenses, the cost of switching over to a new site, provide training for certification on Microsoft's products, a subscription to Microsoft's developer program Web site, and an XBOX video game console with games, as well as an invitation to bring his parents along for a visit to Microsoft's Redmond, Wash., headquarters for the company's annual technology fair.
If there was truly an infringement on a trademark name, then, action should take place to rectify the problem. But in this case, there was no problem to begin with - just one that was thought up by some big-time corporate lawyers who made a situation for their company worse than what it was to start.
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