Microsoft is no stranger to the courtroom given its involvement in antitrust allegations and its efforts to squelch software piracy. Proving that there is indeed no rest for the weary, the legal team at Microsoft is now expanding its efforts to cracking down on cybersquatters who, as the company claims, are profiting off of their brand.
I’m sure you’ve made the mistake of inadvertently misspelling the URL of a site; it’s something we’ve all experienced. Sometimes, the result of that misstep is merely a 404 page, but there are also those times when you come across the site that’s designed to take advantage of your spelling errors with ads and popups.
This process is a form of “cybersquatting” and has drawn the ire of several Internet giants in recent times, notably Google and Microsoft; the latter of which, it seems, isn’t going to roll over and play dead for the cybersquatters.
“These sites confuse visitors who are trying to reach genuine company Web sites, which can negatively affect corporate brands and reputations as well as impair the end-users’ experience online,” said Aaron Kornblum, senior attorney with Microsoft.
“With every ad hyperlink clicked, a registrant or ad network harvests cash at the trademark owner’s expense, while derailing legitimate efforts by computer users who are trying to go to a specific Web site.”
According to a statement released from the Redmond-based software company, several lawsuits have been filed in both the United Kingdom and the United States seeking to put a stop to those looking to financially benefit from Microsoft’s brand. In the past six months, Microsoft has already reclaimed more than 1,100 infringing domains and doesn’t show any sign of letting up anytime soon.
Microsoft is investigating what could be potential intellectual property violations in nations outside of the U.S. and U.K. as well.
