Microsoft ready to evict typo-squatters

Over 2,000 illegal domain names that contain Microsoft's trademark terms are springing up on the World Wide Web every day.



The surge in 'cyber-squatting' is being met by a new offensive from the software maker to prosecute or expose those who profit off its intellectual property.



Over 200 people have been sued for registering a domain name that displays the Microsoft name or one of its trademarked products, often with misspellings, to lure traffic to their new site.



Typically, these website contain "little meaningful information" but are full of pay-per-click ads that when clicked, accrue money to the cyber squatter paid through an online network, Microsoft said.



The company's trademark and online safety experts first began to notice a surge in MS-featured domain names earlier this year, while monitoring the activities of websites run by fraudsters.



The interest in URL auctions - where spoof domain names that have already proved profitable are traded by their owners, has fuelled the illegal trade, while obscuring the criminal penalties.



Under US law, squatters face fines of up to $100,000, and Microsoft is taking two to court, whom collectively the company accuses of registering over 400 domain names that infringe on its trademarks.



Aaron Kornblum, the company's internet safety enforcement attorney, said: "Microsoft has witnessed a virtual land rush for Internet domain names with the goal of driving traffic for profit



"Placing a high profile or pop culture trademark in your domain name is a tempting but illegal way to generate pay-per-click revenue."



Rod Rasmussen, director of operations at Internet Identity, which is supporting the new campaign, says that more than 2,000 domain names 'go live' to profit from Microsoft's IP every day.



Around three quarters are being run by professional domain operations, and have registered sites like freehotmail.net and microsoftnewssource.com.



The remaining quarter of perpetrators use privacy protection services, typically via a third party, to hide their identity.



To unmask those identities, Microsoft is filing a 'John Doe' lawsuit aimed at identifying cyber-squatters and 'typo-squatters' who have used privacy protection services to remain anonymous.



The company says legal action has been taken against 217 'to be named' individuals, while it is also pledged to expand its detection of auctions reselling domain names, so more of them can be removed.



"Microsoft hopes to help Web surfers reach their intended Internet destinations," Kornblum said.



"Where you cross the line is when you misuse someone else's intellectual property in your domain name. Microsoft is aggressively targeting those who misuse Microsoft's intellectual property for monetary gain."