Fake mizzou web address leads to rival school web

Officials in University of Missouri found out a website that uses their trademark nickname "Mizzou" in a web address last week. The website is thought of as a hilarious jokes pranks ideas which leads web visitors to the rival territory. The web address www.mizzou.us takes unaware users to the official University of Kansas Web site.

Christian Basi, University of Missouri Spokesman, said that they've already asked the individual who owns the www.mizzou.us site to change or remove the domain name, since it infringes University of Missouri trademark. A spokeswoman at Collegiate Licensing Co. confirmed that a letter has been sent, but could not disclose details since it’s against federal regulation to disclose information about mailboxes.

A search of the domain name leads to an “L. Jeffries” of 501 E. Nifong Blvd., Suite 311, in Columbia, a UPS Store location. It’s against federal regulation to disclose information about mailboxes, so owner John Kadlec could not verify whether the 311 mailbox exists. On forums, some have attempted to track down the site owner. Some have pointed to Owl Software, a Columbia business with a mailbox at the UPS store. Owner Ann Roland said there’s no connection between the site and her company, which writes software for the food industry.

KU just became aware of the fake address and is not responsible for it, spokeswoman Jill Jess said. But the university hasn’t taken steps to ask the owner to remove it. “We can’t control what the greater Jayhawk nation does on the Internet,” Jess said. “Sometimes they can get a bit overzealous.”

Resource