Comments on: What’s in a name?

By: Reader's Write

Reader's Write — Wed, 12 May 2004 08:48:26 +0000

Bill gates sucks, He is a thieve, always. If there is a Internet Pirate, well Microsoft is a Paracy Group. Basides that, hackers and ofcourse Pirates have an honour code, which Microsoft dont have.
In my opinion, and taking hystory as an example, All empires the biggest empires falled, I dont know when, but some day Mocosoft will fall. At this time, if you notice, free software is winning the battle, Php against ASP - Windows against Linux. Microsoft, make us pirates, selling shit at high prices.
If I were this guy, I would take legal actions against microsoft.
I hope microsoft empire fall soon, Free the Internet, free the world.

SANGRE O LIBERTAD

By: Reader's Write

Reader's Write — Tue, 20 Jan 2004 21:37:21 +0000

Interesting, I just followed a link to your first story and now find an updated version and I was taken aback after reading down and finding Microsoft did the same thing to another guy in 1997 over the use “NT”.

http://www.brendastardom.com/arch.asp?ArchID=341

By: Reader's Write

Reader's Write — Tue, 20 Jan 2004 15:28:32 +0000

are u a lawyer for microsoft?

By: Reader's Write

Reader's Write — Tue, 20 Jan 2004 10:39:51 +0000

It makes me puke to think that the world’s richest man would waste time, money, energy and face by suing a 17 year old kid
who was smarter than he. Its’ the kid’s name, his website, he registered it 1st. All those multi-million dollar ambulance chasers didn’t think of the possibilities with possible permutations of the sacred M name and beat the kid to the punch. Tough toucas!
Hey Bill Gates, castrate your lawyers not the kid! Don’t you have anything better to do in the world than this? Makes me sorry I bought Microsoft products!

By: Reader's Write

Reader's Write — Tue, 20 Jan 2004 10:37:20 +0000

By: Reader's Write

Reader's Write — Tue, 20 Jan 2004 07:39:33 +0000

Microsoft and lawyers never cease to amaze me. Just when I thought I’ve heard the stupidest thing ever, they come up with one better. If this were April 1, I surely would have thought this was a hoax. Incredible.

By: Reader's Write

Reader's Write — Tue, 20 Jan 2004 05:58:33 +0000

Here comes the spam… I wouldn’t have done that, had I been you.

By: Reader's Write

Reader's Write — Tue, 20 Jan 2004 04:18:46 +0000

It’s not like you pulled the name out of a hat. It’s YOUR name. And if HTML is a language (and it is) and you do web design, then isn’t Web Programming a type of software? So why wouldn’t you have the right to register your business with your name?

Besides, anybody who would honestly think Microsoft is MikeRoweSoft is an idiot.

Stick to your guns.

I hate corporate bullies.

For the record….I’m janetj1968@yahoo.com. Not a anonoymous coward. I just hate to register for everything.

By: Reader's Write

Reader's Write — Tue, 20 Jan 2004 03:56:16 +0000

Tell them to stuff it!!

The attorneys name says it all!

By: Reader's Write

Reader's Write — Tue, 20 Jan 2004 03:24:55 +0000

I’m hoping MSII isn’t responding simply because it was overwhelmed with traffic today, either too much bandwidth for Mike, or for his host.

In response to Mike Rowe adding the word “soft” to his name; well, he certainly would not add “webdesign” to the end of it. We’ve all been out there trying to find the shortest domain names possible, and are willing to munge our corp./organization names to accommodate that goal.

I suppose if my phone number spelled mse-xcel, they’d come after me next!

By: Reader's Write

Reader's Write — Tue, 20 Jan 2004 02:52:54 +0000

You are an idiot and have no clue about law. It is a clear and simple trademark infringement. If M$ wanted to, they could have his ass. (like Michael Jackson…)

By: Reader's Write

Reader's Write — Tue, 20 Jan 2004 02:49:43 +0000

Go Bill! Bill for Emperor! Squash the cockroach!

They should give the boy 1000 bucks and a copy of MS Macro Assembler 4.0 and Pätzold’s API Book and call it a day.

By: Reader's Write

Reader's Write — Tue, 20 Jan 2004 02:45:57 +0000

Anonymous Coward wrote Anonymous Coward wrote Anonymous Coward wrote Anonymous Coward wrote go bill rule the world! Love that Billy boy!

By: Reader's Write

Reader's Write — Tue, 20 Jan 2004 02:27:49 +0000

I saw your site this morning.
Here’s what i got when i tried just now [4:20 pm new york time]
“Forbidden
You don’t have permission to access / on this server.
Apache/1.3.27 Server at www.mikerowesoft.com Port 80″
If canadian law is like us law, let them sue you, Mike, and make biggar & smart look as small-time and stupid as they are.
Meanwhile, you should pay them something for turning you into one of the top stories on Google News, today… like maybe $10?

By: Reader's Write

Reader's Write — Tue, 20 Jan 2004 02:00:07 +0000

I don’t see anyone fussing about it. Micro-macro soft-hard. And yes, it is the only reason someone would think to register it (which they did).

By: Reader's Write

Reader's Write — Tue, 20 Jan 2004 01:28:25 +0000

Sorry… he best way to deal with a smart-alec is to step on him like the cockroach he made himself look like.

By: Reader's Write

Reader's Write — Tue, 20 Jan 2004 01:26:49 +0000

The problem is more in voice recognition software and maybe the future of keyless entry. Not typing the totally different names. I think microsoft has sued lindows. But Mike has every right to use his own name. And who is to say MikeRoweSoft would not exist without MicroSoft’s existance, there are hundreds of names with “soft” added to the end of some name.

By: Reader's Write

Reader's Write — Tue, 20 Jan 2004 00:38:34 +0000

It’d have to be a hell of a typo on the surfer’s part to mistakenly input mikerowesoft.com when trying to reach the other company. I’d argue that no reasonal person would ever make this mistake.

I can also sympathize with Microsoft wanting to protect their image at all costs, but I’m hoping their PR team will figure out that there is more harm to be done doing this, when they could actually be promoting both this kid AND themselves if they were a little more creative.

joe@phojoint.com

By: Reader's Write

Reader's Write — Mon, 19 Jan 2004 22:56:22 +0000

Your response was very thoughtful until you decided to flame me in the last sentence. Nice.

All I’m saying is that he would not have chosen the name unless the company Microsoft existed, and that people would not look upon the name as clever or catchy unless it sounded like Microsoft. Therefore, I think Microsoft’s position has merit, not as to whether it confused people - I never claimed that it would - but as to whether he should be allowed to profit from using a homonym of the company’s name.

Lindows is an interesting example of one that Microsoft didn’t try to go after. I’m definitely not for Microsoft and I hate unnecessary legal action, so don’t try to put me in that category. I just think they have a valid position here.

By: Reader's Write

Reader's Write — Mon, 19 Jan 2004 22:43:42 +0000

Yes and no. The name MikeRoweSoft as a business entity could not possibly be confused with Microsoft except by a complete idiot, such as a Microsoft attorney. I see no trademark infringement here, certainly no more than Lindows offers. Trademarks are unique by virtue of their spelling. The latest spate of going after “similar” spellings as trademark infringement (particularly in domain names) is being encouraged to eliminate the SLIGHT misspellings that trick or snare people (especially children and mentally incompetents) into opening undesired websites (particularly porn sites). But Mike Rowe has a legitimate name that is not the name “Microsoft” and a legitimate business that is not a Microsoft business (Microsoft does not design websites for people, and FrontPage only purports to assist people in doing that). Since when is a business entity allowed to take an actual name that happens to sound like their corporate name and prevent the person from using it as a business name? The added “Soft” exists on dozens, perhaps hundreds or even thousands, of corporate and partnership names. At which point can a court draw the line and tell Microsoft or anybody else, “Enough is enough. Back off.”? And a 17-year-old who hasn’t thought to consult an attorney (which of them would?) should have the rights here. Microsoft should be forced to prove their assertion that people are in fact being confused by his name. One look at his site should convince anyone that it is innocent of true trademark infringement. Perhaps you could take your troll ass back under the bridge you crawled out from.