Mikerowesoft Word
What are others saying about Maths Worldwide? Please note that these quoted opinions may not necessarily be our opinion.
Microsoft: We took MikeRoweSoft too seriously. Robertson gives Hoover as an example of a trademark that has become a generic word.
1) It is absurd to purchase the program: “Who in their right mind would buy it. Gosh.” (YouTube.com) 2) Program not working: “My son got no benefit from this expensive game! I should have got him the PS3 he wanted, He would have got more use out of that!!!!!!!!” (YouTube.com) “They said ‘Yeah, this f. is awesome’ and then it was just s.” (YouTube.com) “I paid for this crappy program 6 years ago and I used it for 1 months before giving up. My maths sucks now:( I get bagged i got ripped off.” (YouTube.com) “this is BULLS.!
1) We will be gathering the 800,000 students, so we can launch a lawsuit against the company, to have it received under “public interest”, coerced by the courts to act in the interest of mom and dad investors. We will be taking both civil and criminal action against the past and current Directors, where possible. You can sign our petition to join us in this action, if you have legal standing.
2) Under a court order, we will try to ensure that all 800,000 customers are refunded the difference between the ridiculous price ($5995) and a more reasonable price ($600). This amounts to a lump sum payment of $4.3bn that we are asking for. Each family will be entitled to $5,395 of this trust fund. 3) We will be getting involved with the ACCC (1300 302 502, 02 6243 1305, or adjudication@accc.gov.au), ASIC (1300 300 630), the Australian Federal Police, and the Australian Federal Court. You can yourself fax these institutions to show how seriously we are taking this action. Although we already have our own lawyers, you can contact your MP to ensure the Australian law is flexible enough to change as we need to win this case.
Lobby for an educational ombudsman, which now exists for lots of other industries already. The Western Australia Consumer Protection Agency has been particularly effective in fining directors; try calling 1300 30 40 54, or consumer@docep.wa.gov.au to get hold of them. 4) Contact Maths Worldwide directly and fax in a complaint. You can contact them on 02 9988 0900 (voice), 02 9988 0911 (fax), or 1800 280 800 (free call). You can also visit them personally and protest outside of their building, at Suite 101, 1A Eden Street, North Sydney, NSW 2060. Their email address is tech@mathsworldwide.com.au;; this is the email address existing customers send emails to. 5) Freedom of political communication, to ensure Nationwide News Pty Ltd v Wills will be upheld to protect the rights to gather persons in matters relating to International law.
6) Trying to connect with other victims of the “Maths Story” and “English Story”, which has been confirmed to exist in South Africa as well as Australia. If there exists “subsidiaries” of this bankrupt in the United States and the United Kingdom, we want to hear about it. Help us spread the word, blog about it, put it on your social networking status, and help feature this on the news.
——————————————————————————– All material presented on this web site exclusively represents the opinions of its authors. We disclaim liability for all content. Material has been provided for the exclusive purpose of organizing a class action between existing Mathemagic customers. Freedom of speech on this web site guaranteed under the Constitutional Guarantee to Freedom of Political Communication. © 2010 MathsWorldwide.org. Because the Company has not provided any names (very secretive), we cannot ascertain specific fault yet.
It is assumed the Company has done this intentionally, to prevent managers from being “named and shamed” (a classic public relations move). 1) Gary Rosenberg, the chief executive of the Edu Group Corporation, and the managing director of the Australian Institute of Mathematics. 2) Grant Thornton, specifically, the receivers (November 26, 2008), Paul Billingham (pbillingham@grantthornton.com.au or +61 2 8297 2400) and Trevor Pogroske. Liquidators have a standard of care required by their professional organizations.
If they do not meet the duty of care, they can be claimed under a tort of negligence. This could include handing a Bankrupt’s assets over to unfit Directors, and not taking into due consideration, the “best interests of the child” (UN Convention on the Rights of the Child). This Company has threatened us with legal action, David Newman from Maddocks.
We need you to help us do an audit, to get more information about the Math’s Worldwide accounts, by complaining to these professional organizations: Institute of Chartered Accountants Australia, Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales, and the Insolvency Practitioners Association of Australia. The Institutions should provide that Grant Thornton put children first, when dealing with liquidations. If not, please lobby them to do so, and contact these following family lobbies: American Family Association, Australian Family Association, Family First, Make A Stand, UNICEF, Festival of Light Australia, and Save the Children. 3) Glenhutt Holding Pty Ltd, based in 2065 (New South Wales), has been active since July 1, 2003. There is a possibility this corporate head was started for the pure purpose of avoiding liability to Mathemagic. This is illegal if this is the case.
The ABN of this firm is 81 105 679 641, and the ACN is 105679641. This is the registrar of the MathsWorldwide.com.au domain name. 4) NSW All Schools Track & Field Championships, who are cobranded in a five year naming rights sponsorship, ending August 2009, with the Australian Institute of Mathematics. Doing so, may have been misleading for NSW customers, thus they were negligent in their partnerships. 5) TPP Internet, the firm that hosted the Australian Institute of Mathematics and Literacy Pty Ltd (ABN 7). The webmaster is under Raj Singh. The Company is also linked to twoplums.com.au.
By keeping the domain mathemagic.com.au, and linking to Maths Worldwide, the new company may be misleading customers Maths Worldwide has purchased Mathemagic (if it hasn’t yet). 6) Back To The Future Education (Australia) Pty Ltd, who seem to be selling a product very similar to Mathemagic, now rebranded to Mathspower. If their product is analogous to Mathemagic, it may be yet another group we will be looking at taking action against.
7) South African Government organizations, which seems to be where the program originates from (based on the accent of the voice prompt on the program). The South African Government should ensure software which bankrupts shouldn’t be able to be exported into Australia. 8) CAMI (Computer Aided Mathematical Instruction) Educational, Advanced Learning Power, Maths and Excellence Learning Pty Ltd, who seem to be based only through the Internet, and are selling the product. Selling a bankrupted product means you can be vicariously liable for damages suffered, if you reasonably knew the company would go bust. The web sites on the Internet are scattered, but include camiweb.com; cami.com.au; aiewa.com.au; orangeeducation.com.au; learnmaths.com.au; future4kids.com.au.
The best is probably the Indian CAMI, accesible at speedmaths.in. Web hosts, web designers, and web masters can be legally liable for content on these web sites. 9) Lombard Financing, the Company that charges a 19% annual interest rate, selling the total product over 4 years for $7940. 10) Mathemagic Computer Tutor Ltd (Company No 05642193), based in The Lodge, Darenth Hill, DARTFORTH (DA2 7QR). This Company was administered on March 2, 1997 – only later to reappear in Australia.
11) Laton.com.au, which is profiling the Mathemagic Computer Tutor web site. They also detail a contact address, Level 2 79 Hay Street, Subiaco (6008) in Western Australia.
The phone number listed is 08 9489 7600. 12) Damian Bock and Damian Frearson, the director of Mathemagic Computer Tutor AIMWA Pty Ltd, who were fined $1,200 in a Perth Magistrates Court for failing to give mandatory customer information about their rights to cancel door-to-door trading contracts. 13) Renaka Senaratna of Croydon in Victoria, was fined $1,000 in the Joondalup Magistrates Court for not ensuring his company provided mandatory customer information about their rights to cancel door-to-door trading contracts. The $4.3bn figure is calculated, by multiplying the 800,000 students worldwide, by $5,995; subsequently deducting the figure by 800,000 students worldwide, multiplied by $650 (current cost). The software sold cost may be greater in some jurisdictions/transactions, and the number of students doesn’t necessarily represent the number of copies sold.
We will need more forensic evidence. We believe that Maths Worldwide (ABN 59 134 783 663) should be liquidated, and put into the hands of Government-appointed authorities, who would “act in the best interest of the children” (United Nations Treaty) that use these products. Since the Treaty relating to Children has been assented in Australia, we are hoping UNICEF can convince the Government to make it law! So why do we think Maths Worldwide isn’t acting in the best interest of children (based on quotes and news media)? 1) Misleading claims, Maths Worldwide is claiming they have sold 35,000 copies to date – but this is likely only what the bankrupt (Mathemagic Computer Tutor Pty Ltd and EDU Group Corporate Pty Ltd) did.
Another web site (now removed from the Internet) stated they had 600,000 students, another 750,000 students. Employees were asked to say they had around 800,000 students worldwide, and 88,000 families in Australia (Gorey.com.au). They claim to have 7 offices in Victoria, 6 in Queensland, 2 in Northern Territory, 4 in South Australia, 3 in Western Australia, 2 in Tasmania, but they were just in the process of setting the office up (Gorey.com.au). If the product is so popular, why has it a ranking of 4.1m as supposed to a ranking of 6000 for MathsOnline.com.au 2) No names of managers provided, why? 3) Misuse of market power, acquiring a bankrupt’s previous customers, only to charge them $30 for product activation (TPA s46).
Assuming Maths Worldwide sold 800,000 copies of debtors worth $5,995, this is $4.796bn in annual sales revenue. This would tower the $60m development cost (Gorey.com.au); and is indicia that the Mathemagic liquidation may not have been done in good faith. 4) Inflating price of goods, targetting vulnerable customers with hefty tags, who are just trying to care for their kids (TPA s51AA), as reported on Channel 9. The prices don’t justify their difference from tested and reliable products from OfficeWorks which are only priced from $59 to $129.
5) Misleading and deceptive conduct, in relation to its duplicated menus; and its “tutors” who cannot be quizzed, as recommended by the NSW Teacher’s Federation (TPA s52). Furthermore, Mathemagic has been accused of its non-compliance with the misleading fee structure; no-lemons policy.
6) False description, since the software does not match description, often hyped up during the one-hour sales pitch (TPA s74C). By stating that the program is a “tutor” program, it also upholds that the firm is a professional educational organization, but yet it is not kept accountable by the peak educational institution of Australia. This is thus a false descriptor. 7) Un-merchantable quality, since the software is not of a quality suitable to market, and should be banned permanently (TPA s74D). They claim to help children with mathematics, but one parent stated that it left their child “stranded and again failing maths”. 8) Child protection concerns, because tutors and salespeople hired by the Company do not need to be screened for child protection by the Police, as do all other professionals dealing with children. This is a very concerning stance, by a “professional” firm.
9) Not placing the interest of children first, which is an obstruction against the International Law set out by the United Nations. Courts of countries who do not find in favor of children, may be taken to the ICJ (International Court of Justice). 10) Intentional liquidation, by the use of the corporate shell rule, which stipulates that a parent company is not liable for the damages caused by a child company if it was not aware. As a result, Maths Worldwide creates small subsidiaries, all of which it are “unaware”, but there is a repeating pattern of bankruptcy and respawning.
If they received $4.8bn in sales revenue, how can they bankrupt – particularly when they are still live in New Zealand, Singapore, and United Kingdom? 11) No guarantee, the new Maths Worldwide web site Terms & Conditions also states (an attempt) to exclude to implied terms of the Trade Practices Act, and liability in general. Now what about Mathemagic (which is now owned by Maths Worldwide)? (And importantly, have they changed ways from their old ways?) 1) Abusing employees, employees who were trained without payment by the company (TPA s53B, and now Work Choices Act) 2) Coercing employees, by requesting their employees state they inflate sales by at least 10,000 than they actually were.
(TPA s59) 3) Harassment, for harassing existing customers over the phone; and coercing new customers into contracts (TPA s60) 4) No warrantee, for not upholding express warantees, having shrunk into liquidation, voiding contracts (TPA s74G) 5) Unsuitable goods, since the software is not suitable for the purpose of tutoring children, and is unrefundable (TPA s74B) In Australia, educational “tutor” programs should be registered with the Australian Tutoring Association, Maths Worldwide is not. These claims do not apply to their Phonica software, but we sure do hope this software isn’t “Phony” too.
Microsoft argued that their trademark had been infringed because of the phonetic resemblance between 'Microsoft' and 'MikeRoweSoft'. Microsoft vs. MikeRoweSoft was a legal dispute between and a student named Mike Rowe over the 'MikeRoweSoft.com'. The case received international press attention following Microsoft's perceived heavy-handed approach to a student's part-time business and the subsequent support that Rowe received from the online community. A settlement was eventually reached, with Rowe granting ownership of the domain to Microsoft in exchange for an and additional compensation.
Since my name is Mike Rowe, I thought it would be funny to add 'soft' to the end of it. – Mike Rowe The domain name MikeRoweSoft.com was initially registered by Canadian student Mike Rowe in August 2003. Rowe set up the site as a part-time web design business, choosing the domain because of the pun by adding the word 'soft' to the end of his name.
Microsoft saw the name as because of its phonetic resemblance to their trademarked corporate name and demanded that he give up the domain. After receiving a letter on January 14, 2004 from Microsoft's Canadian legal representatives, Rowe replied asking to be compensated for giving up the domain. Microsoft offered to pay Rowe's of $10, the original cost of registering the domain name.
Rowe countered asking instead for $10,000, later claiming that he did this because he was 'mad at' Microsoft for their initial $10 offer. Microsoft declined the offer and sent a letter spanning 25 pages. Microsoft accused Rowe of setting up the site in order to try to force them into a large financial settlement, a practice known as. Press coverage and settlement Rowe went to the press, creating publicity for the case and garnering support for his cause, including donations of over $6,000 and an offer of free advice from a lawyer. At one point Rowe was forced to take down his site after it was overwhelmed by around 250,000 over a period of twelve hours, only managing to get the site back up after changing to a service provider with a higher capacity. The case, portrayed as a struggle by the media, characterized Microsoft in a negative light. The resulting bad publicity was later described as a 'public relations mess.'
The public showing of support that Rowe received was credited with 'softening Microsoft's stance,' leading to an eventual settlement. In late January 2004, it was revealed that the two parties had come to an, with Microsoft taking control of the domain. In return Microsoft agreed to pay all of the expenses that Rowe had incurred including setting up a new site at and redirecting traffic to MikeRoweforums.com. Additionally, Microsoft provided Rowe with a subscription to the, an all expenses paid trip for him and his family to the Microsoft Research Tech Fest at their headquarters in, training for and an with a selection of games. Following an online poll, Rowe donated most of his legal defense fund to a children's and used the remaining money for his future university education. Further developments.
Excel
We take our trademark seriously, but in this case maybe a little too seriously. – Microsoft spokesman Jim Desler After settling the dispute with Microsoft, Rowe attempted to off the documentation he had received on the on-line auction site, describing it as 'a piece of Internet history'. The materials included one copy of the original 25 page cease and desist letter as well as an inch-thick book containing copies of trademarks, web pages and e-mails between him and Microsoft. The auction received more than half a million page views and bidding rose to more than $200,000. The high bids turned out to be fraudulent and the auction was restricted to pre-approved bidders. After restarting from the reserve price of $500, the documents eventually sold for $1,037.
PowerPoint
Microsoft later admitted that they may have been too aggressive in their defense of the 'Microsoft' trademark. Following the case it was suggested by Struan Robertson – editor of – that Microsoft had little choice but to pursue the issue once it had come to light or they would have risked weakening their trademark. This view was also espoused by, who noted that had Microsoft knowingly ignored Rowe's site, the company would have risked losing the right to fight future trademark infringements. Robertson opined that – had legal proceedings ensued – Rowe would have made a strong argument for keeping his domain, as he was using his real name and was not claiming to be affiliated with Microsoft. See also. References.