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Is this Microsoft

brindly

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Posted September 25, 2011 at 10:48AM

I have received emails recently for "All New Microsoft Office 2012" "Alternative Office Suite" "DOWNLOAD NOW" It then goes on to say " The Long Awaited update is here" is this genuine Microsoft Office update or maybe a way of infecting my computer? It doesn't say anything about cost at this stage but I don't want to even open it. The company put their sddress at the bottom : Taj Media Group

4920 Crestview Terrace Somerset, TX 78069

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buteman

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Posted September 25, 2011 at 11:02AM

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brindly

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Posted September 26, 2011 at 11:14AM

Yep, thats the one, why would you need an alternative to Microsoft Word unless you didn't have Microsoft Office in the first place? Still, good luck to them if it is genuine but I think I will stick with Microsoft Office.

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iscanut2

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Posted September 26, 2011 at 4:42PM

How did they get your e-mail address ?

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interzone55

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Posted September 27, 2011 at 9:52AM

Many people can't afford Microsoft Office, which is why free products like Libre Office (neé Open Office) thrive.

In this case though the company are very naughty pushing their product as Microsoft Office 2012.

Current MS Office is 2010, and a new one won't be due until 2013.

Microsoft's address is Microsoft Corporation One Microsoft Way Redmond, WA 98052-6399 USA

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Covergirl

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Posted September 27, 2011 at 1:05PM

Butemans link points to a page advertising "Kingsoft Office Suite 2012, a free Microsoft Office alternative for Windows" rather than "pushing it as MS Office 2012".

Whether Brindlys wording is verbatim might need to be verified.

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interzone55

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Posted September 27, 2011 at 2:41PM

Covergirl

Clearly Brindley's post suggests that he understood this to be a Microsoft product, and the branding Kingsoft Office Suite 2012 is close enough for many a trademark lawyer to fire off a cease & desist letter

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Forum Editor

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Posted September 27, 2011 at 6:31PM

"...the branding Kingsoft Office Suite 2012 is close enough for many a trademark lawyer to fire off a cease & desist letter"

I doubt it.

In my opinion the words 'Kingsoft Office Suite 2012' aren't sufficiently similar to 'Microsoft Office 2010' (the latest version of MS Office) to make an allegation of passing off a viable proposition. The product web site clearly states that this is "a free Microsoft Office alternative for Windows", and there's no suggestion that anyone is trying to sell the software.

However, if advertising or promotional emails do carry the words "All New Microsoft Office 2012" there could well be a passing off issue, and my advice to the company behind this would be to stop using that form of words immediately.

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