Firefox Lover Owns www.ie7.com !

[abhay 0]

Firefox lover owns IE7.com

Microsoft may be on the verge of releasing the latest version of its Internet Explorer web browser but it has been beaten by a competitor to the use of the IE 7 domain name.

Online users that key in www.ie7.com expecting to locate information on the upcoming Microsoft browser IE 7, will instead see a big logo of Firefox, the open source browser developed by Mozilla.

The logo includes a link back to Mozilla's site, and a disclaimer statement at the top of the web page reads: "Neither this site nor Mozilla is connected with Microsoft."

When contacted, a spokesperson for Mozilla said in an email the site was created by a "web user who is not affiliated with Mozilla Corp", adding that the company has no information about this site.

A check with Register.com revealed that the domain was issued to a UK internet services company called Digital Dataflow. The domain was registered in 1999, and is next due for renewal on 8 March, 2007.

Incidentally, the www.ie6.com URL address also does not belong to Microsoft but to a search portal which features links to a number of Microsoft products, such as Internet Explorer, Windows XP and Microsoft Office 2000.

Last month Microsoft filed three lawsuits in a US federal court against cyber squatters it alleges reaped profits in bad faith. The suits revolve around more than 600 domain names.

At the time of publication, Microsoft was not able to respond to requests for comment.

http://networks.silicon.com/webwatch/0,390...39162064,00.htm

hey since it is registered long back they cant take it away from him right ????

[Arun 795]

Ofcourse M$ can get the domain if they battle it out in court by filing a legal suit since they have trademark rights. Looks as though IE8.com through IE13.com are already registered, not by M$ though !

[abhay 0]

but ARUN as far as i know internet domains are booked on

"first come and first serv" basis

M$ would have a case in case when domain was booked just recently :- ie after or near to the official launch of IE7 development

but in this case the domain was registered way back in 1999 when no1 had even thought of IE7

what do u think ARUN ???

AND + what i wanted to know is what about the renewal thing (next due for renewal on 8 March, 2007) !! will the owner be given to first prefrence or m$ can preregister and take the domain from its owner

[Arun 795]

Yes, only the current holder can renew the domain even after around 45 days after the actual expiry date. M$ can only try to backorder the domain, but backordering works only after the domain is expired.

Right, since IE7 was announced recently only, it would be difficult for M$ to prove in court that they have trademark rights over it. Since the domain was booked already in 1999, the chances are less for M$ !

[linuxguy 0]

M$ can get that domain pretty easily. What that guy is doing is known as cyber squatting

[Ganesh 0]

Well i think MS will rename its browser soon

) best option

[abhay 0]

M$ can get that domain pretty easily. What that guy is doing is known as cyber squatting

linux buddy !! could u plz elaborate on ur point

[linuxguy 0]

abhay, google for cyber squatting and you'll see what happens...

[abhay 0]

yeah i know that !!!

but how does it apply here ??

1) neither is he selling the domain to M$ for a profit (unreasonable amount)

2) nor has he registered the domain recently or even close to IE7 "development launch", it was registered wayyy back

now where dose "cybersquatting" comes into picture in this case

"Cybersquatting means registering, selling or using a domain name with the intent of profiting from the goodwill of someone else's trademark. It generally refers to the practice of buying up domain names that use the names of existing businesses with the intent to sell the names for a profit to those businesses."

IE7 was not existent that time !!!

http://www.nolo.com/article.cfm/objectID/6...11/228/195/ART/

[Arun 795]

Thats true, "IE7" wasn't existant at that time and that should make it difficult for M$ to get hold of the domain. Anyway, I don't think M$ will be too interested in the domain name. If you search for all subsequent IE version websites, you get different results. For example, www.ie6.com is a search website. www.ie5.com also seems to be some sort of search engine. www.ie3.com is from somewhere in Barcelona, and most of the others seem to be search engines. www.ie4.com (warning!) seems to be porn.

BTW, www.msie7.com has been bought over as well. The owner has put a phpBB forum for discussing IE7. He is selling the domain name and is asking at least $2500 for it. Now thats cyber squatting !