Microsoft Sues 'Cybersquatters & Typosquatters'

Not a surprise, given the attention they have been putting into their "Strider URL Tracer" project ...

Looks like MSFT is going to bankrupt them; not just "here's the name back, sorry."
Frankly, I am surprised it took them this long.

About time too, I dont know why domain registration companies even allow them to be purchased. They are as liable as the people who register them as technically they are selling a trademarked item. If Google did it there would be uproar.

It will be interesting if this tactic spreads. Google itself is a victim of this kind of squatting but it is in the position of actually making money from the Adsense that many of these cybersquatter sites use. Though combined with the problem of domain kiting, somebody had to make the first move.

The use of "John Doe" suits is interesting because it puts the domain whois privacy services under the microscope.

Regards...jmcc

Time to take out the trash!

Another link:

[informationweek.com...]

mentions that:

"The company also filed a separate "John Doe" lawsuit with a Seattle federal court, and will soon issue 217 subpoenas to unidentified people who have registered domains that reportedly infringe on its intellectual property."

217 more cases coming. :) I'm all in favour of what Microsoft is doing, as it will clean up the industry.

The lawsuit

[ivory.vnunet.com...]

The majority of the names are .info's together with a few .com's

Blatant as most of those are, I have to question the inclusion of the "replacementwindows" names?

(which reminds me, I need to clean those glass things built into the side of my house ...)

I own 1hotmale.com and we've used it for fun email addresses... surely I can't get sued since I'm not trying to sell things similiar to the trademark?

If they don't protect their trademark, they lose it, I think.

surely I can't get sued since I'm not trying to sell things similiar to the trademark?

You're probably right. But they'll come after you if they want to.

I think it all depends on what you are really doing with the domain.

example

nissan (which is a computer company)
vs
nissanusa (the car company)

Nissan (car company) has been suring them for years and keep losing.