Microsoft sues "cybersquatters"

[eCommando]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20060822/tc_afp/afplifestyleitcompany

Three men from the state of Utah were accused of registering 324 domain names playing off Microsoft or its services, and a Southern California man reportedly registered 85 such website addresses.

Microsoft also filed a "John Doe" federal lawsuit in Washington, D.C., intended to generate subpoenas that would let them find out the names of "cybersquatters" with identities cloaked by privacy protection services.

 

[Rarethings]

Just read the same thing. About time, I guess.

Look at Mikerowesoft.com.

 

[Domain Jedi]

I wonder if owners of Zune domains need to be concerned about this...

 

[007]

Well, the Mikerowesoft situation was way different. If I recall, the guys name was Mike Rowe Soft. It's hard to argue any rights when it's the persons legal name..

What's next, TM checks when naming your child? :-D

Just wait, soon domainers will be naming their kids after company names just so they can attempt to have a leg to stand on when they register TM's.

 

[droplister]

At least 75 percent of the more than 2,000 domain names registered daily with trademarked Microsoft terms go to "professional name holding operations

Wow thats alot of squatting

 

[Olney]

Anyone here from utah?

 

[whitebark]

I wonder if owners of Zune domains need to be concerned about this...

They have yet to go after the xbox crowd. I think they see the inherent value in having viral marketing in their favour. As long as the website doesn't purport to be owned and operated by Microsoft and is using their trademarks beyond the name in some capacity - they would be silly to shut them all down.

 

[Domain Jedi]

Please reference the following piece from the article I was just reading:

"Take, for instance, microsoftrebate.com. The company does not own the domain name but has said that the sites are a way for squatters to profit off Microsoft intellectual property. Other examples include downloadvistaforswindows.com, gamesonxbox.com, halochamp.com, and genuinewindowsvista.com

Surfing to these web pages leads visitors to a screen full of pay-per-click advertisements and little meaningful content, Microsoft has alleged. But cybersquatters continue to profit because of the money earned through online ad networks like those of Google."


From what I can tell, Xbox domains are at risk as well.

Here is a link to the full article;

http://www.redherring.com/Article.a...+Suits+&sector=Industries&subsector=Computing

 

[fischermx]

I have some names with the words "SQL Server" and "Access".
I wonder if they will go after all domains with their brands.
Eventhough, I do have serious and real content about those databases in my sites, I also, do profit from them on PPC ....

 

[Mr. Deleted]

Well, the Mikerowesoft situation was way different. If I recall, the guys name was Mike Rowe Soft. It's hard to argue any rights when it's the persons legal name..

What's next, TM checks when naming your child? :-D

Just wait, soon domainers will be naming their kids after company names just so they can attempt to have a leg to stand on when they register TM's.

Mike Rowe, not Mike Rowe Soft. He just added Soft to his name

 

[NavySeals91]

I will name my kid Low Gi Tek and another of mine Prog Ress Ive.

 

[Domain Jedi]

I just want to reference an additional piece of the article I referenced in my last post:

"Microsoft said its Trademark and Internet Safety Enforcement groups noticed a surge in domain name registrations containing the company’s intellectual property earlier this year while monitoring web sites registered by phishers. The company has now decided to expand its anti-phishing initiative called “Domain Defense Program,” to include anti-cybersquatting initiatives."


I personally just deleted a potential problematic domain from my portfolio.

 

[GeorgeK]

http://www.informationweek.com/internet/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=192203153

(mentions 217 subpoenas are coming!)

I'm glad. It'll clean up this industry a lot if each of the 217 typosquatters ends up paying $100,000 per domain name in damages.

 

[GT Web]

Well, the Mikerowesoft situation was way different. If I recall, the guys name was Mike Rowe Soft. It's hard to argue any rights when it's the persons legal name..

His name was actually "Mike Rowe" and added the "soft" to make his domain sound cute. That kid was a little punk, too bad he didn't get sued into the ground.

This is what happens when domainers play with fire...looks like some of them are going to get burned pretty badly. UDRP is one thing, but if they start sueing for damages - look out!

 

[Creature]

I wonder if owners of Zune domains need to be concerned about this...

They should have an amnesty. I guess that loads of domainers would give up their zune names and others in return for not paying $100,000 USD to MS.

 

[GeorgeK]

http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/features/2006/aug06/08-22domaindefense.mspx

is Microsoft's press release.

I wonder how many of the non-US cybersquatters are going to set foot on US soil for domainers events? They risk being served in person, or worse, put in jail.

http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/art...1_NOA731944_RTRUKOC_0_LEISURE-BETONSPORTS.xml

Fun times ahead. lol I hope the Microsoft folks are enjoying themselves. I wonder how many members of this board and other domain forums, both the private and the public ones, are feeling the heat....

If anyone needs to sell some non-TM names to finance their coming legal defences, feel free to hit me up!

 

[actnow]

Hopefully, they will not go overboard and attack domain owners that contain
the word "micro" or "soft" "Box" "spreadsheet" "word" "publisher"?

"Absolute power corrupts".

 

[Deleted member 70408]

http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/features/2006/aug06/08-22domaindefense.mspx

is Microsoft's press release.

I wonder how many of the non-US cybersquatters are going to set foot on US soil for domainers events? They risk being served in person, or worse, put in jail.

http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/art...1_NOA731944_RTRUKOC_0_LEISURE-BETONSPORTS.xml

How could someone goto jail for it? Aren't these civil penalties and not criminal?

 

[Theo]

The development of the strider tool has the potential of being implemented into the Windows Vista OS.

 

[DomainEngineer]

At least 75 percent of the more than 2,000 domain names registered daily with trademarked Microsoft terms go to "professional name holding operations

Wow thats alot of squatting

Wow!
Thats lots of domains daily.

Where did you find those stats?