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back to article Microsoft to eBay name for $1m

Portuguese outfit Microsoft Lda aims to cash in on its name by eBaying the brand and business for a starting price of $1m, Reuters reports. The company registered its title locally in back in 1981, long before Microsoft Corp penetrated the Portuguese market. Since the Beast of Redmond is accordingly not allowed to call itself …

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  1. Josh Folcik

    sleeze

    I guess Ricardo Carvalho is getting sick of scalping tickets for a living at sporting events and concerts, he wants to make it rich in a big way now!

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  2. Jack

    Carvalho?

    Doesn't he play for Chelski?

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  3. Joseph Zygnerski
    Thumb Down

    eBay?

    Aren't there more...professional ways of auctioning off your company's name? This seems to have a lot of PR stuntness to it.

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  4. Ian Court

    Er...

    http://www.microsoft.com/pt/pt/default.aspx

    No "MSFT" monicker there.

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  5. Jason Togneri
    Stop

    @ Joseph Zygnerski

    Seems to me that's rather the point. Also, won't Microsoft just bring a suit against the subsequent owners, one of those you-must-prove-you-have-a-legitimate-use-rather-than-merely-domain-squatting ones?

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  6. Adam Azarchs
    Gates Halo

    Stupid thing to do

    These guys are grandfathered before MSFT came to portugal, sure. But anyone else who bought the name would not necessarily be afforded the same protection, especially since at this point MSFT would have a very good case that they name was bought simply to cash in on the Microsoft name. So basically no one but "Microsoft of Redmond" would be able to place any value on the name.

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  7. heystoopid
    Go

    Since Portugal joined the EU in 1986

    An interesting conundrum as Portugal joined the EU in 1986 and must conform to all the assorted Euro rules and regulations so the new owner of the name must also do like wise from date of name registration transfer !

    Oh I can see the suckers lining up now to be milked or how soon we forget about "Lindows" too !

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  8. Shane McCarrick

    Microsoft LDA

    I used build vast numbers of custom built machines for people all over Ireland (up till Dell dropped its prices so much that my market evaporated). My parents live in Portugal- so I could potentially have a place of permanent fixed abode there if I needed it. So- I could potentially bring my PC building business back to life under the Microsoft moniker. To be honest- I'd probably stick Ubuntu on any machines I built- its cheaper than the ridiculous prices MS charge. If anyone asks- hell, its just like Apple Mac software- only it has more components being developed for it the whole time, unlike Mac OS which is locked.

    Hmmmm- brain cogs going into overdrive.......

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