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Swedish Regulators Ban Word "Bank" In Domain Names For Non-Banks

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on from the nanny-state-to-the-rescue dept.

It seems that Swedish regulators have decided to extend the requirement of not calling yourself a bank to the registration of domain names. Now anyone that tries to register a .SE domain name with the word "bank" in it will need to prove they are a legitimate bank. Hopefully there are no blood banks or anyone with the last name of "Banks" that might want a .SE domain. Here is a Google translation of the demand issued by the authorities to the .SE registry.

7 of 175 comments (clear)

  1. Easier solution - *.bank.se by kyz · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Let sweden register "bank.se" and offer subdomains only to valid banks.

    It works here in the UK - schools get .sch.uk, the police get .police.uk, etc., while we normal people get .plc.uk, .me.uk, .co.uk and so on.

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    Does my bum look big in this?
  2. Bummer by Stenchwarrior · · Score: 5, Funny

    I guess sperm banks will have to go by the next-most synonymous name: britneyspears.se

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  3. Sigh... by DoofusOfDeath · · Score: 5, Funny

    Sounds like their registration system is borked.

  4. 2000+ domains with bank in the name in .se by a_n_d_e_r_s · · Score: 5, Informative

    There are over 2000 domains with "bank" as part of their name in the .se-domain - most of them are not banks in the traditional we-take-care-of-your-money banks. One example is platsbanken.se which is the national goverment register of open jobb.

    And strangely enough some of the real big banks don't use bank in their domain name.

    I know from several involded in the NIC .SE they dont like this at all and intend to fight it. Actually this is something that has been pushed by the banks for several years but became more prominent because of well-published fishing-scams against the banks - which actually managed to steal some money. The 'fun' part is that the fishing attempts didn't use .se domain names but domain names in other TLDs.

    Tracing who created an .SE domain is easier then for other TLD so we probably will never see anyone trying to use the .SE TLD for fishing scams against the banks. So PTS - the national post and telphone goverment overseer - are pushing an agenda that won't really had help against the fishing attempts.

    So this is nothing that are decided - yet. It will be a battle between PTS and NIC .SE over who decide over domain names.

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    Just saying it like it are.
  5. So much for... by SlashDotDotDot · · Score: 5, Funny

    my doughnut activism site (bankrispiekremes.se), my Cretaceous-themed bar's site (clubankylosaurus.se), and my large brass instrument tribute to 90's crap pop site (tubankotb.se). Sigh.

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  6. Holy sensationalist summary, Batman! by Kidbro · · Score: 5, Informative

    The press release (Swedish) from PTS (the regulating body referred to) makes it clear that the word is banned unless for banks or if it is otherwise clear that the name in question can not lead to misunderstandings.

    A little more information than what you can get from the summary, TFA or the contentless blog rant TFA links to.

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    May we live long and die out
  7. Re:Sperm banks & food banks out of luck by PseudononymousCoward · · Score: 5, Funny

    They will simply become Swedish Sperm Savings and Loans.