| Monday, January 19, 2004 |
15:06 - Michael Rowe the boat ashore
http://www.cnn.com/2004/TECH/internet/01/19/offbeat.mike.rowe.soft.ap/index.html
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No, the kid should have seen it coming.
Rowe, a 17-year-old high school senior and Web designer from Victoria, has angered the software giant by registering an Internet site with the address www.MikeRoweSoft.com.
"Since my name is Mike Rowe, I thought it would be funny to add 'soft' to the end of it," said Rowe.
Microsoft, however, is not amused.
It has demanded that he give up his domain name. In November, Rowe received a letter from Microsoft's Canadian lawyers informing him he was committing copyright infringement.
"I didn't think they would get all their high-priced lawyers to come after me," Rowe said.
He wrote back asking to be compensated for giving up his name. Microsoft's lawyers offered him $10 in U.S. funds. Then he asked for $10,000.
On Thursday, he received a 25-page letter accusing him of trying to force Microsoft into giving him a large settlement.
"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."
Sorry, Mike, I ain't buying it. You knew full well what would happen. The fact that this story showed up on CNN is game/set/match for you, and don't bother denying it.
Shoulda taken the ten bucks and been glad to have it end there. Now you're going to have to deal with legal fees, which even if you win you'll never get back.
I have to wonder, though-- shouldn't his parents have seen something like this coming, like seventeen years ago? Like all those couples named "Cross" who think it's the height of wit to name their sons Christopher?
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Brian Tiemann
