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Microsoft takes on teen over website


aboz56

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Here's a statement from the kid on his website:

 

I received an email from Smart & Biggar, Microsoft's Canadian lawyers, informing me that I have been committing copyright infringement against Microsoft. They told me that I must transfer my domain name over to Microsoft as soon as possible. I was baffled by this email, yet thought it was funny at the same time. Microsoft was going after a 17 year olds part time business that he put a lot of time into just because it has the same phonetic sound as their company.

 

I responded to this email saying that I was not ready to give up my domain name since I had put so much time and effort into establishing my name, getting my business cards out and posting my services on the Internet. If I were to give up my domain, I would lose all the time and effort I had put into it. I requested that they offer me a settlement of some sort to help with me losing my business. A few days later I received an email back from them telling me that they would give me all of my out-of-pocket expenses for the domain name, which came to be $10USD. I was surprised that they would offer such a little amount of money to persuade me to hand my domain over to Microsoft. In response to this recent email, I sent one back to them describing how much work I have put into my business and that the domain was worth at least $10000. They refused to give me anything more than $10USD so I proceeded to ignore their most recent email. I didn't hear anything from them after their last email.

 

Yesterday, January 14, I received a package from the lawyers' office FedEx Priority Overnight. Inside I found a book over an inch thick with a 25 page letter explaining to me that I had all along had the intention to sell my domain name to Microsoft for a large cash settlement. This is not the case, I never thought my name would cause Microsoft to take this course of action against me. I just thought it was a good name for my small part-time business. In this letter it explains that Microsoft's customers could get confused between my page and theirs, which doesn't make any sense since Microsoft doesn't design websites. They do, however, sell a program called Microsoft FrontPage, which they say can cause some confusion between me making websites for my customers and them selling a program to make websites to their customers. I think it is just another example of a huge corporation just trying to intimidate a small business person (and only a 17 year old student at that) to get anything they want by using lawyers and threats. It reminds me of the Starbucks thing against the little coffee shop in the Queen Charlotte Islands.

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ten g's is alot to ask for

 

he should  have taken the ten dollars and ran with it

 

of yeah and  :canada sucks

 

:nono  :nono  :nono  :nono  :nono

I agree it is a lot to ask for, but what is 10 g's to Microsoft?

 

This is bringing them some negative publicity.

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If this kid had a lawyer, which I know this is a lot further then he expected it to go, but he only needed to show a business plan.

 

Microsoft is notorious for this. Anyone remember the hotmail.com fiasco? Hotmail.com was not renewed as a domain name and microsoft could have lost it. But some guy saw it and called microsoft about it. These guys are idiots.

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If they pay that kid ten g's then everyone will open up websites with similar names

I think the kid should take the 10 dollars and buy himself a train ticket out of canada :usa  :usa  :usa  :usa  :usa

 

:fyou  :canada

Why the 2 Canadian jokes in one thread, am I missing the joke?

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Why the 2 Canadian jokes in one thread, am I missing the joke?

Yeah, what's with a lot of people hating Canada? It's gotta be that damn South Park movie, but even then it doesn't make sense. I'm ok with Canada because Kristin Kreuk is from Canada. :lol: So as far as I'm concerned :canada

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Yeah, what's with a lot of people hating Canada? It's gotta be that damn South Park movie, but even then it doesn't make sense. I'm ok with Canada because Kristin Kreuk is from Canada.  :lol: So as far as I'm concerned :canada

I wouldn't hate Canada if it weren't for all of those damned Canadians living there

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Yeah, what's with a lot of people hating Canada? It's gotta be that damn South Park movie, but even then it doesn't make sense. I'm ok with Canada because Kristin Kreuk is from Canada.  :lol: So as far as I'm concerned :canada

I would have been awesome if Ann Murray had taken that chance to sine Blame Canada at the oscars, but Robin Williams did a nice rendition none the less.

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