ICANN | Letter from Bank For International Settlements to Mike Roberts Regarding .biz Top Level Domain

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Letter from Bank For International Settlements to Mike Roberts Regarding .biz Top Level Domain


22 March 2001


BANK FOR INTERNATIONAL SETTLEMENTS


Advance copy by fax: 001 310 823 8649

Registered

Mr Michael M Roberts
President and CEO
Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and
Numbers (ICANN)
4676 Admiralty Way, Suite 330
Marina del Rey, CA 90292
USA

 

22 March 2001

Dear Mr. Roberts,

It has recently indirectly come to our attention that there are proposals to use the letters "biz" as a new top level domain name of Internet addresses.

In this connection, we wish to draw to your attention that the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) is an international organisation headquartered in Switzerland and that our name, as well as our initials, are protected pursuant to Article titer of the Paris Convention of 1883 (see the attached Circular number 583 dated August 16, 1965 of the United International Bureaux for the Protection of Intellectual Property).

As you will note, our protected initials include "BIZ" (for Bank für Internationalen Zahlungsausgleich) which is widely used in German speaking areas to designate our institution. You will understand that, as our name and initials are registered and protected pursuant to the Paris Convention, we do not want them to be used by other entities for any other purposes.

We therefore respectfully request you to confirm to us that you will take the steps necessary to ensure that our protected initials are not used as a new top-level domain name on the Internet.

We look forward to hearing from you shortly.

With best regards,

BANK FOR INTERNATIONAL SETTLEMENTS

(signed)
Andre Icard
Deputy General Manager

(signed)
Mario Giovanoli
General Counsel

cc WIPO, 34 chemin de Colombettes, 1211 Geneva, Attention: Mr Francis Gurry, Assistant Director General/Legal Counsel


Circular No. 583
August 16, 1965

Dear Sir,

In accordance with the terms of Article 6 ter of the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property as last revised at Lisbon on October 31, 1958, the International Bureau has the honour to communicate to you the following information:

(a) The names of the Bank for international settlements are:

in French: BANQUE DES REGLEMENTS INTERNATIONAUX

in German: BANK FÜR INTERNATIONALEN ZAHLUNGSAUSGLEICH

in Italian: BANCA DEI REGOLAMENTI INTERNAZIONALI

in English: BANK FOR INTERNATIONAL SETTLEMENTS

(b) The name abbreviated in English is: INTERBANK

(c) The initials are:

in French and Italian: BRI
in German: BIZ
in English: BIS

This communication is being circulated to all States Members of the Paris Union. It is appreciated that only those Members which are bound by the Lisbon text are at present required to accord the protection under Article 6 ter, but there may be other Members which are in a position to grant the same protection under their national laws and would elect to do so.

Yours faithfully,

(signed)

G.H.C. Bodenhausen
Director


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