Mike you got riped off
What a fool!

Typical Microsoft buyout. A pyrrhic victory, at best, for the teen who said he wouldn't sell out.

And the Microsoft juggernaut keeps rolling on. How sad! At least there was some amount of "egg-on-their-face" in going after this teen. Microsoft will likely spin it into some PR achievement. gag/retch!

Good God stop ripping on Microsoft.

Wher are all prostitudes

i think it is well worth what he did, even better if he meets bill gates. some things are worth more then money...

Good for Mike but I would have told Microsoft to kiss my butt - I find their attitude condescending and reprehensible. Not everyone in the world cares about you, Microsoft, or your profits!!

Not a bad sellout for a kid from Canada with no real hope or future. He is lucky he got anything after admitting that he wanted it to 'sound' like Microsoft.

On a side note, what is with getting an Xbox? He should have asked them to buy him a PS2. As a needle.

Mike should have held out for more. I don't understand why MS would care the name is completely different. MS is just too pushy.

Mike should have held out for more. I don't understand why MS would care the name is completely different. MS is just too pushy.

Microsoft is pushy! As for a website or anything else sounding like a real product or company. Hollywood does it all the time to avoid paying money to the company for using their product or name. The game Postal 2 is a good example. In the game a guy has a case of Buttquizer that has a look alike label rather than Budweiser. By the way, Anheuser-Busch who makes Budweiser also makes a malt King Cobra :o)

In Mike Rowe's poll at his website about how to spend the money donated to him for legal fees. It seem charity will receive the money. I said, "I think it would be very upstanding of Microsoft if they offered to match the charity donation amount. Maybe you could bring that up to them when speaking with them. I'm sure they are looking for some good PR right about now."

You realize Microsoft had to go after him due to likeness, as if they didn't, they forfeit all chances to defend their name in the future.

the evil monobully has done it again...

me just curious why Mike Rowe give courses and XBox to Bill, after Microsoft abusing and apeing his name for so many years. Bill no time to play this kind games-lah! But maybe Mike think Bill will have plenty spare time in future.

Michael Rowe stole my idea !!! Michael you need to give me your x box !!!!

You are all fools... STFU!
except tungsten. He's the man.

**Shudder**

You know what makes me chuckle the most I beat my left arm the majority of MIcrosoft haters STILL use there OS cuz there not bright enough to have an opinion or install LINUX. Mike really has got a bum deal, I dunno why he sold out and ateotd microsoft aint gonna do squat witht he website i mean come on who would have serached for mikerowesoft.com on google.??? Remember what happend to Steve Bink and his www.windowsxp.nu.

Alas no one will stop the microsoft giant and tbh i'm not too bothered by that are you.??

Hold out for more? It was a trademark issue. There have been many other lawsuits and issues over the use of a name, references to a name, and the sort before. Since its just such a large corporation, the attention and size of Microsoft was being used to the kids advantage to try and get something out of them. I think the offer is nice actually.. offering a high school kid training and the such.

I think that Microsoft does not have the right to sue a kid for using his own name for a website. This is just another example of how the American Dream gets shot down. Hell he's from Canada and I say American Dream? Well yes, it's still North America. Did MS get checked before crossing the Canadian border, cause what they did is similar to the demands of these religious extemists (terrorists) that are ruining the lives of countless Americans! I wonder if Microsoft has sued themselves? After all Microsoft used to be "named" Micro-Soft. Dumbass corporations!

I think for being a 17 year old kid Mike did pretty well. It's not like he's owns a big WebDesign firm, this was a part time gig, and it payed off. Not only does he get an Xbox with whatever games he wants, but he gets Microsoft certified, a vacation, and a new website with all the cost payed for. I think Mike did the right thing by exepting the offer,you didn't sell out you did what a smart buisness man would have done: Sell to Microsoft and avoid legal fees and use the profit to start a new buisness!

you guys dont know piss from paint, mike rowe is a failure in life, and by caving in to microsoft, it shows that he cant stand his ground and take up a fortune 500 company head on. what an ass hat you are rowe

You people would make a difference helping the little people by visiting my site http://www.cyberbeggar.biz . There's lot of people who need help.

I think Mike Rowe gave in too easy. The little people should stand up to big companies.

One person CAN make a difference.

Oh please, the kid would have been squashed like a bug by the battery of lawyers Microsoft would have sent out to deal with him. I'm sure he's glad that he got rid of the threat of a possible very long and expensive lawsuit, and got something out of it too.

You people dissing him for not "making a stand", or whatever, why should anybody else take the heat for what seems to be your cause? Besides, why not take up the challenge, register an url that vaguely ressembles microsoft.com, and see how well you can take the heat.

Pissants.

Total Sell Out :)

I would have held out for a PlayStation 2.

I think Mike did good. After all, Microsoft could have faught this and drown him in legal fees. All things considered I think the end result is fair.

It's amazing just how many people try to live their lives vicariously through one little person's struggle against "the man", and how disappointed these people are when the natural inclination to settle such a dispute is acted upon. Most of what I've seen is "I would have stood up to them", "I would have held out for more", "what a sellout", "another win for Monobully", "caving in to Microsoft", blah, blah, blah. The fact is, we AREN'T Mike, and to even suggest that we might have done differently in his stead is irresponsible, because very few of us could even hope (or dread) to be in his position. And we'd probably piss in our pants if we were.

I think it's a pretty sweet deal for a kid who otherwise would have had his life held hostage for quite some time if he decided to stand up to Microsoft. And now he gets opportunities he might not have had otherwise.

I will say this, though...if he'd been any older than 17, Microsoft wouldn't have been nearly as kind or as generous.

Gee, Microsoft pays this kid for his talent and ingenuity, or they sue him out of existence.

Which would you choose, morons?

and so no one feels left out...

which would you choose, geniuses?

and to be totally complete....

which would you choose, average people?

CJA

the last laugh may actually belong to Mike....
eBay item #3382073018 at the time of this message...
Current bid: US $202,188.00

too many people with more money than brains!!

i think that microwsoft is a fucking monopoly...those bastards should go to canada and eat the panda train...my mom is a panda so i told her to shUT YOUR MOUTh...well i gotta go rape some russian children so i'll see you bastards in hell...stiky iky iky

I think that what he got he should be, and apparently IS in fact happy with. They didn't really have to any of it. Just because they have money doesn't mean they should be obligated to give him a huge chunk of it. It's gonna work out for him in the end anyway simply due to the number of hits his website is going to get, and as a result, the business he is going to attract!

Go Mike! WtG!

some stupid people on here, none of you would wait for a ps2, none of you would even get the xbox, you would all just cower over such a big company making threats and give up the domain.
This is the guys real name, if it was me then i would argue the fact microsoft insist i change my real name, that way they dont have a leg to stand on in court

Mike Rowe if fucking stupid. The dumb ass kid gives up his domain for A FUCKING XBOX, GAMES AND SOME OTHER SHIT. He could've milked that for all it's worth, could've got some real money. Crazy Canadiens, I wish they weren't connected to the U.S. He better start practicing his hockey skills because that's the only way he's going to get any money now that he sold out to the evil that is microsoft.

LOL, some of the people that have posted here are truly pathetic. Like someone else said, you go out, register a domain that is similar to MS, and when they sue you... hold out until they own you. I think you're all just pissed off because its a 17 year old kid and not yourselves that got this. Yeah, he gave up his domain, big deal. He can now get on with his life without lawsuits and courtrooms, and probably do something with himself.
My question is for this jackass: "you guys dont know piss from paint, mike rowe is a failure in life, and by caving in to microsoft, it shows that he cant stand his ground and take up a fortune 500 company head on. what an ass hat you are rowe"
When are you going to take on microsoft, you insignificant terd?

Mike I feel you had a right to use YOUR NAME! Even if it sounds to much like M$.

i dont belive it. I just dont belive how this kid give up. If I werw a pain in the ass for micro$oft the things had done them more difficult.
Fuck M$. (sorry my english, a big hello from argentina)

Its your domain, you own it, screw micro they want to have blood on their hands from anything they possibly can! You should have stuck with it, so it sounds like their name, big deal! God forbid Gates should lose what.. a couple thousand, greedy bastard only has how many millions?

Mike was in violation of trade name infringement. He was lucky to take the deal since microsoft could have sued him for everything he had.

Reference: "Deciphering Cyberspace," by Shyles Leonard, (c) 2003

Kinda sad to see him settling; it was pretty entertaining, I was rooting for him too.

Not that it would have accomplished much.

You know, Rowe decided to do this just for kicks, so I think he made out like a bandit. His website most likely would have flopped anyways, another internet fad like that badger flash crap.

Kudos to your Rowe, pick your battles.

I think he could of held out a little longer and got a bigger settlement. But he got some good benefits.

Grant
http://www.lifesettlementpro.com/

How sad that the parents (and his lawyers) would allow a teenager to get rail-roaded like this by a multi-billion-dollar mega corporation.

The kid basically sold out for an Xbox. It's like takin' candy from a baby. "Yeah, that's ti...look at the shiny object...GIMME THAT!"

He's gonna be sick when he Google's his own case and learns how many people out there got RICH by selling their domain names to big companies who later formed and/or simply wanted to avoid confusion.

I wonder why microsoft hasn't gotten rid of the threat of Microsorft.co.uk yet...

Mike was totally ripped! its HIS NAME doesnt microsoft have anything better to do thanbug teens?

You're all pencil-pricked asshats.
Turn off the computer and go outside.
Ask mom first if you must.