17-year-old's Dough-main

Mike Rowe, from Victoria, B.C., needed a catchy name for this web design company. Having a sense of humour comparable to that of the Joe-kster, Mike successfully registered the domain name www.mikerowesoft.com in November 2003.

Mike, a Grade 12, 17-year-old computer geek, thought it would be funny to add ‘soft’ to his name, and help market his internet business. Not so funny from the world’s biggest software company’s perspective though. Microsoft’s Canadian lawyers informed Mike that he was committing copyright infringement, and Mike was advised to transfer his domain name to Microsoft.

Microsoft offered a generous $10 Cdn (why, that’s about $1.50 U.S. using the Joe-kster’s financial wizardry) to buy the domain name… Mike counter-offered with $1,000… only to receive a 25-page letter from Microsoft accusing him of trying to force Microsoft into a “large” settlement.

Mike’s now waiting it out, counting on support from a local lawyer (who has offered free advice), and backing from friends and family.

And we’re hoping that Mike’s sense of humour continues! We here @ joe-ks.com believe that, in a gesture of goodwill for the upcoming Whistler Olympics, Microsoft should have at least offered Mike $2010… Failing that, though, we have an even better suggestion for Mike!

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