Microsoft readies action against cybersquitters

NET NAMES said the Vole is readying a legal barrage against people and firms who register URLs which bend its name or names of its products.

Microsoft will also take action against UK firms which register such "cybersquitting" names, Net Names said.

Net Names COO Jonathan Robinson said: "A number of professional organisations make a fortune out of registering variants and misspellings of popular brand names... The majority of these speculators either link to lucrative Google-style pay-per-click advertising or they sell the domain names on for a profit."

The Vole will not be suing Volesoft.com, however, because it does not recognise that name. Although the vole+dog does. µ