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Swedish Regulators Say The Word 'bank' Not Allowed In Any Domain Names... Except If You're A Bank
from the no-bankrate.se? dept
It's quite common for regulators around the world to insist that no company can call itself a "bank" unless it's an official, regulated bank. In fact, that's often why you see companies (including holding companies of real banks) that use the word "banc" instead of "bank." It's to get around such regulations. However, it looks like regulators in Sweden have gone a step further, telling the Swedish domain registrar, that it can't even allow any domain name to be sold with "bank" in it, unless it's sold to an official bank (found via Michael Scott). Of course, the whole thing seems ridiculous. There are plenty of legitimate reasons why a site might want to use the word "bank" in a domain name without being a bank themselves. A domain could be a site about banks, a service site like Bankrate or simply contain a surname like Banks -- which shouldn't confuse too many folks.
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Reader Comments (rss)
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Does this include...
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Re: Does this include...
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Re: Re: Does this include...
Or cum dumpsters....either one is fine.
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Re: Does this include...
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Truly, a Wunch of Bankers
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Re: Truly, a Wunch of Bankers
(Chorus)
WE NEED STRONGER INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY LAWS
ps we a have a tv programme here in the UK about financial matters - its called working lunch - Spoonerises to Lurking Wunch ...quite appropriate.
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Re:
Drat, now that I think about it, it also kills my lifelong wish to start up that pool-related website that I always wanted to start called bankshot.se.
I guess it doesn't affect the registrant of riverbank.se, though, since it's already registered (abeit without any website behind it).
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Easily Confused
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Re: Easily Confused
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Re: Re: Easily Confused
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Not entirely correct
And actually if you read the document that Fältström refers to it's quite clear that the regular makes a less strict interpretation. In one place it says that "bank" in the meaning "storage" (as in "bloodbank" I guess) is to be accepted. In another place it says that compound words containing "bank" and cannot lead to misunderstandings need not be approved by the third party that the registrar will otherwise consult about what bank domain names are ok.
So except that they didn't mention personal names and geographical places (or other different semantics of the word) I cannot see any big problem with this. From a practical point of view of the registrar it seems easier to test these cases after the registration has been done though - like is done in many other cases.
All this said, I'd like to point out that Fältström is normally right and as one of the Swedish government's advisors on IT issues it's interesting to follow what he has to say. Not the least since he is very critical of the bad way data retention is about to be implemented, and the other day he also questioned the court order that told an ISP to block access to the Pirate Bay.
With an advisor like him it's difficult to understand how the government can make so many mistakes, but maybe they don't listen enough.
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Not entirely correct
And actually if you read the document that Fältström refers to it's quite clear that the regular makes a less strict interpretation. In one place it says that "bank" in the meaning "storage" (as in "bloodbank" I guess) is to be accepted. In another place it says that compound words containing "bank" and cannot lead to misunderstandings need not be approved by the third party that the registrar will otherwise consult about what bank domain names are ok.
So except that they didn't mention personal names and geographical places (or other different semantics of the word) I cannot see any big problem with this. From a practical point of view of the registrar it seems easier to test these cases after the registration has been done though - like is done in many other cases.
All this said, I'd like to point out that Fältström is normally right and as one of the Swedish government's advisors on IT issues it's interesting to follow what he has to say. Not the least since he is very critical of the bad way data retention is about to be implemented, and the other day he also questioned the court order that told an ISP to block access to the Pirate Bay.
With an advisor like him it's difficult to understand how the government can make so many mistakes, but maybe they don't listen enough.
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Re:
One can of course take issue with the approval procedure, but while that is of course important for the registrar it doesn't seem that big a deal for the rest of us. And the .SE foundation has high requirements to be transparent about their internal procedures.
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Blood banks?
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Re: Blood banks?
Btw. I'm sorry about the double post above. Maybe a moderator can remove one of the posts.
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Banks?
Blood Bank?
Banks of the Mississippi?
Bank on it?
Whew....
How about Banque, Baenk, Banke, Banck, Bancke?
I'm banking on this insanity coming to an end.
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Re: Banks?
You forgot Bernanke, Binkey and the Brain, and the Bank Eyed Peas...
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Too bad...
What about blood banks, sperm banks (as another poster noted), etc? Ridiculous.
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Swedish Regulators Say The Word 'bank' Not Allowed In Any Domain Names... Except If You're A Bank
No web sites for me. Man what happened to the Dutch and the Swedish. Nobody pays any attention to them so they make up stupid laws and interfere in peoples lives.
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.....Wait a minute
So THAT'S why the Federal Reserve System doesn't include the word bank! It isn't regulated! It all makes sense now!
On a separate note: what the sweet holy fucknuts in a paperbag owned by Wynona Rider...you mean to tell me this is how international banks have been behaving when they're REGULATED?
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I have already pointed out that the problem here is merely that of an awkward screen procedure for the registrar. There is no general prohibition of "bank" in domain names for others than financial institutions.
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In b4
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In b4
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I'm off...
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Damn, Damn, Damn...
Good domain names are so hard to get these days.
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Bank has many definitions
Hmmm, domain name is owned by a Seattle bookstore.
http://www.leftbankbooks.com
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Funny...
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Re: Funny...
Yep, it's exactly the same in swedish. But you could still register "sandbank.se" or "molnbank.se" (cloud) since the regulator (PTS) clearly said that compound words that don't cause confusion are not affected by this decision.
Why doesn't anyone bother to check the facts. The real story here seems to be that of an awkard domain name approval procedure - not that lots of "bank" domains are forbidden - they aren't.
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Bank
"Put it in the bank"
means to ejaculate in an anus.
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Confused
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I own pyrabank.com. I'm Banking on success of pyrabang.com
I'm good with the domain for now, and will eventually give it away to pyrabang.com owners. It is a gentlemens agreement.
If I was in Sweden, this would be another serious complication. Can anyone, including Pyrabang.com.se own Pyrabank.com.se ?
It is clear that Swedish "authorities" had the best intentions in putting together this law. Prevent confusion etc.
It is also known that the road to hell is paved with good intentions.
There is also a law of unintended consequences.
Think about it before you condone more government interventions.
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Trademark on the word "bank"
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Trademark on the word "bank"
Sheesh!
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Bank Names For Sale
Betty Hiland
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