Cybersquatters Sued by Microsoft

While checking my email, I came across on interesting subject line from BizReport: “Microsoft Files Suits Against 4 Men For Cybersquatting.”

It names the four men, who registered hundreds of domain names that played on Microsoft product names…

…

The domain names registered by the men include: 1microsoft67.info, halo2player.com, freehotmail.net, genuinewindowsvista.com, and windowshome.info.

Microsoft accuses the defendants of making a profit by leading people to these sites, which are filled with pay-per-click advertisements.

I’m not really sure what to think of this. It seems pretty crazy because “domaining” (not really sure what it’s called) has become an industry in itself with things like AdSense for Domains and the Domain Roundtable Conference spawning from it.

Of course, there is legitimate domaining, but I imagine most of it is typosquatting.

I guess I could do without all the cybersquatting and typosquatting that’s going on out there. The parked pages filled with PPC ads really don’t add much to the user experience.

For more coverage, check out Google News.

Crazy stuff…
—kid disco