Microsoft seeks $100,000 per domain name

[Gerry]

[UPDATED] Microsoft Files Suit Against Web Companies in Indiana
http://www.insideindianabusiness.com/newsitem.asp?ID=25423

InsideINdianaBusiness.com Report

Microsoft Attorney Aaron Kornblum says fines for cybersquatting could go as high as $100,000 per domain name.

A software giant is going after some so-called cybersquatters in Fort Wayne. Microsoft is filing suit in federal courts in Indiana, Washington and New York. They're going after companies that register Internet domain names with very similar spellings to legally-protected web addresses. Seven Fort Wayne-based web companies are named in the suit.

Court documents allege that 95 different domain names were registered and used to divert people away from Microsoft to ad websites. Microsoft Attorney Aaron Kornblum says Dell, Time Warner, Wal-Mart and Yahoo are also filing suit to try and stop cybersquatting.

"You'll make a typo when you enter that address," says Kornblum. "When you do that, you're going to visit a completely different place." People who get diverted by accident can end up with pop-up ads, porn, spyware and viruses on their computers.

The lawsuit seeks $100,000 per domain name registered. Microsoft has collected more than $1 million already in settlements with other cybersquatting operations.

 

[Thomas Nash]

People who get diverted by accident can end up with pop-up ads, porn, spyware and viruses on their computers.

Why would a microsoft typo lead to porn, it wouldn't do a lot for their CTR? And I have never once experienced a virus or spyware from a Parked page ever! They talk crap to get people on their side. I hope they don't get any more money than they already have got from these 'cybersquatters' and just their domains.

 

[Gerry]

Why would a microsoft typo lead to porn, it wouldn't do a lot for their CTR? And I have never once experienced a virus or spyware from a Parked page ever! They talk crap to get people on their side. I hope they don't get any more money than they already have got from these 'cybersquatters' and just their domains.

If you own the typo, you can redirect it to anything you want. Or build any page or site you want.

Most spyware and adbots come from such sites.

Microsoft Attorney Aaron Kornblum says Dell, Time Warner, Wal-Mart and Yahoo are also filing suit to try and stop cybersquatting.


This is legal action filed in just one case, in one locale, and against 7 companies owning 95 domain names.

Could get interesting.

 

[Raider]

I'm really glad to see this, Microsoft and others need to send a message to these scumbags that infringe on their TM's, the same goes for typosquatters.....Earning $$$ from another persons hard work is BS!, something we see quite often from bottom feeding domainers.

They should go a step further and setup a web page to report infringing domains...I hope that's next. :yes:

 

[typist]

yesterday's news: http://www.dnforum.com/f26/recent-microsoft-lawsuit-risky-tm-domains-thread-249693.html and http://www.dnforum.com/f26/cnn-video-cyberquatting-thread-249900.html

 

[Raider]

I missed that thread, Thank you for posting Typist. It's good to know that Microsoft is member here. :yes:

 

[rentdn]

I own wndowsxp.com and what it means that it's illegal ?

 

[Gerry]

I own wndowsxp.com and what it means that it's illegal ?

I won't offer any legal advice. But some will.

Watch this video clip from CNN then make your own determination;

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/business/2007/09/13/lake.cybersquatting.suits.cnn

Thanks for Dave Zan for posting it.
http://www.dnforum.com/post1-post-1257487.html

Here is a partial listing of the names in the lawsuits:

http://www.loffs.org/microsoft-cases/peppler4.pdf
http://www.loffs.org/microsoft-cases/cody1.pdf scroll down to page 13

 

[rentdn]

Thanks Doc Com for info

 

[TheLegendaryJP]

I'm really glad to see this, Microsoft and others need to send a message to these scumbags that infringe on their TM's, the same goes for typosquatters.....Earning $$$ from another persons hard work is BS!, something we see quite often from bottom feeding domainers.

They should go a step further and setup a web page to report infringing domains...I hope that's next. :yes:

:lol: Like tomb raider names ! Ever earn money from tomb raiders hard work, ever use Angelina's name to get clicks ? Of course not not because that would make you a scumbag that infringes.

 

[katherine]

They should go a step further and setup a web page to report infringing domains...I hope that's next. :yes:

LOL they have a form to report sites that sell pirated m$ software, which does not even work... at least back then when I tried. Well it's hardly surprising coming from m$.

 

[stuff]

:lol: Like tomb raider names ! Ever earn money from tomb raiders hard work, ever use Angelina's name to get clicks ? Of course not not because that would make you a scumbag that infringes.

I have said it before (or thought) this raider is an idiot - nothing to do there.
http://www.dnforum.com/f73/tomb-raider-domain-thread-178955.html

she said:

I have a Tomb Raider domain that gets about 1500 uniques a month, most of which is type-in, I have it optimized for Video games, PC games, Playstation, Xbox etc, the problem is that I barely any click throughs, maybe 1 or 2 out of 30 uniques, no matter where I park it, it does horrible not to mention the CPM, can anyone suggest better optimization?, preferably with results that pay....Thanks!

 

[TheLegendaryJP]

I have said it before (or thought) this raider is an idiot - nothing to do there.
http://www.dnforum.com/f73/tomb-raider-domain-thread-178955.html

she said:

I have a Tomb Raider domain that gets about 1500 uniques a month, most of which is type-in, I have it optimized for Video games, PC games, Playstation, Xbox etc, the problem is that I barely any click throughs, maybe 1 or 2 out of 30 uniques, no matter where I park it, it does horrible not to mention the CPM, can anyone suggest better optimization?, preferably with results that pay....Thanks!

Exactly, I am going to open a forum.. dnhypocrites.com , my fear is it will have a rush of sign ups and crash my servers. :lol:

 

[stuff]

Exactly, I am going to open a forum.. dnhypocrites.com , my fear is it will have a rush of sign ups and crash my servers. :lol:

yes this is new trend in dnf: idiots- first there was stock now its raider, whois is next.. I don`t know, it can be anybody

 

[TheLegendaryJP]

yes this is new trend in dnf, idiots, first there was stock now its raider, whois is next.. I don`t know, it can be anybody

I think maturity is a huge issue. People blindly jump on badwagons and speak out of pure ignorance. If they only took the time to look at themselves and read more before posting on topics they know virtually nothing about .

 

[acronym007]

Under UDRP policy, successful complainants can have the names deleted or transferred to their ownership (which means paying regular renewal fees on all the names or risk them being registered by someone else). Under the ACPA (Anticybersquatting Consumer Protection Act) a cybersquatter can be held liable for actual damages or statutory damages in the amount of a maximum of $100,000 for each name found to be in violation

 

[Dale Hubbard]

I can tell you also that M$ are feverishly investigating the .co.uk squatters. If you have any M$ typos in the .co.uk zone -- ditch them sharpish.

 

[Raider]

I have said it before (or thought) this raider is an idiot - nothing to do there.
http://www.dnforum.com/f73/tomb-raider-domain-thread-178955.html

Wow, you must really dislike me to go back a whole year through my posts, Is it the politics that did it? I noticed you like calling a lot of members here "idiots" is that what your Dad called you when you were growing up? most likely so.

The Tomb Raider domain; That was last year and this is now, you wont find a domain in my portfolio that is currently infringing on a TM.

Since joining this Forum over a year ago I learned quite a bit and completely changed my outlook on the way I view TM's, but many on this Forum have not and they have been here much longer than I have, What I see a lot of here, is the buying and selling of youtube or myspace domains, I even saw one of the American Red Cross, yeah lets squeeze some blood out of them.......

I stand by my earlier comments, if your one of these scumbags that continues to justify what your doing, live with the label and lawsuits that go with it. :approve:

I think maturity is a huge issue. People blindly jump on badwagons and speak out of pure ignorance. If they only took the time to look at themselves and read more before posting on topics they know virtually nothing about .

Blind is what you do best Legendary, You could of asked me about it first, but what did you do?, Speak out of ignorance!

 

[Dale Hubbard]

Not really fair to trawl back a year. People do change with the times.

 

[Gerry]

We can all air out each other's laundry but I for one don't care to look at someone else's skid marks.

I will not assume anything regarding this story. But the sheer number and blatant regging of product (not typos) brands, names, and licensed goods is most likely the reason the heat is falling where it is...at the moment.

I won't pretend to speak for MS, but one or two typos may not be the issue. This is crossing the line but snagging up nearly every product in every extension.

This is perhaps much like many of the cases being won by athletes in Europe, most notably the soccer (football) stars. Many domainers are regging a kid's name in hopes he will make to the big leagues. He does. But someone else is cashing in on his name and has been for years. Courts are finding in favor of the athlete because they believe that the domainer has deprived him of his birthright as well as being depriving the individual of using his own name for personal gains. And we know many of these stars sign multi-million dollar contracts along with multi-million dollar endorsements. Not only are the domains being awarded but cash judgements also.

This is similar. Individuals are cashing in on names of specific products. We can all hate and despise MS but the bottom line is they can't even reg a domain name for their own product? I believe that is the absurdity of all of this.

Am I guilty? With more than 4000 domain names, you betcha. Have I been caught? You betcha. Not a MicroSoft issue. But I complied with the request from the legal office representing their client to drop the names. It was a no brainer as it was a blatant violation and I knew it.