Microsoft halted in phonetic domain crusade
Posted: Wed Dec 15, 2004 2:42 pm
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/12/15/mo...eats_microsoft/
Microsoft has been knocked back in its increasingly bizarre domain name grab by Spanish company Mocosoft.
Domain arbitrator WIPO, meeting in Spain, has decided that Microsoft is not entitled to the domain "mocosoft.com" despite the fact that some of the same letters appear in both companies' names. The site hosts a long list of downloadable applications.
The decision comes on the back off a year-long crusade by Microsoft to take ownership of all and any domains that even sound like its own name. Most famously, Microsoft lawyers descended on 17-year-old student Mike Rowe in January insisting he hand over his domain "mikerowesoft.com". The claim was clearly ludicrous but following heavy press interest, Microsoft went into PR mode and Mike Rowe was dazzled into handing over the domain by a plethora of gifts.
mocosoft? Who the hell would mistake mocosoft for microsoft?
Archived topic from Anythingforums, old topic ID:1429, old post ID:18116
Microsoft has been knocked back in its increasingly bizarre domain name grab by Spanish company Mocosoft.
Domain arbitrator WIPO, meeting in Spain, has decided that Microsoft is not entitled to the domain "mocosoft.com" despite the fact that some of the same letters appear in both companies' names. The site hosts a long list of downloadable applications.
The decision comes on the back off a year-long crusade by Microsoft to take ownership of all and any domains that even sound like its own name. Most famously, Microsoft lawyers descended on 17-year-old student Mike Rowe in January insisting he hand over his domain "mikerowesoft.com". The claim was clearly ludicrous but following heavy press interest, Microsoft went into PR mode and Mike Rowe was dazzled into handing over the domain by a plethora of gifts.
mocosoft? Who the hell would mistake mocosoft for microsoft?
Archived topic from Anythingforums, old topic ID:1429, old post ID:18116
But in this case it's just a name conflict more then anything and not registered in bad faith.