The domain name must reflect the name of the organisation applying for the name, or one of its registered trademarks. The organisation applying for the domain name must be present in the Faroe Islands. Upon request the organisation must present sufficient documentation for the right to the domain name. Documentation may consist of a resume from Erhvervs- og Selskabsstyrelsen, SE-registration, trademark registration from Patentdirektoratet, or other evidence that the organisation exists as a legal entity in the Faroe Islands.

Regulation governing
the allocation, administration and rescission of domain names
under the .FO Top Level Domain on the Internet.
Preface
This regulation is written and promulgated by the Registry Manager, the FO Council, who has the
responsibility for the management and operation of the .FO Top Level Domain on the Internet. The
FO Council may amend this regulation.
Definitions
The .FO Domain, which is also called .FO ccTLD (country code Top Level Domain), is the top level
domain on the Internet allocated for use by the Faroe Islands by ICANN (Internet Corporation for
Assigned Names and Numbers). See www.icann.org/cctlds/.
A .FO Domain Name, which is also referred to as .FO Second Level Domain Name, is a registered
name on the Internet that ends with .fo, such as nic.fo or tinganes.fo.
The FO Council is the quasi-public authority that, according to its by-laws approved by the Minister of
Trade and Industry, has been delegated the responsibility for the management and operation of the
country domain .FO on the Internet. The FO Council is that entity known, in the terminology of the
Internet, as the .FO ccTLD Manager.
The FO Operator (.fo ccTLD Operator) is the service provider that directs, on behalf of the FO
Council, the day-to-day operations of the .FO domain. As of 1 January 2002, the FO Operator is PF
FDS (Faroes Data Store, Inc.).
§ 1. Application
1. To be granted the right to use a domain name, the applicant is required to complete, sign and
submit the authorised application form, which is available at www.nic.fo. Relevant documentation
shall be submitted with the application.
2. The P-number or V-number of the applicant shall be provided as well as the Name Server to be
used. In the event that a P-number or V-number is not relevant, the birth date of the applicant or
the responsible party shall be provided.
§ 2. General Provisions on Domain Names
1. Domain names may consist of only Latin characters, numbers and the dash symbol (-), however
the dash may not be placed at the beginning or the end of the domain name. A domain name
may consist entirely of numbers. A domain name shall consist of at least two characters (in
addition to .FO) and not more than 63 characters.
2. If it is intended that the domain name shall be a Faroese name that is spelled with one or more of
the following letters: “ø”, “ú”, “í”, “ó”, “ý”, “ð”, “æ”, the applicant may substitute the following
characters: “oe”, “o”, “u”, “i”, “o”, “y”, “d”, “a” / “ae”, respectively.
3. The FO Council reserves the right to reject an application if the domain name requested is
indecent, inconsistent with the general regulations governing the Internet, or abusive, threatening
or derisive.
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4. The FO Council reserves the right to reject applications for these domain names:
1. gTLD (generic Top Level Domain): aero.fo, biz.fo, com.fo, coop.fo, edu.fo, gov.fo, info.fo,
int.fo, mil.fo, museum.fo, name.fo and org.fo.
2. ISO 3166 Maintenance Agency (ISO 3166/MA) list of country codes (ISO 3166-1 List)
3. Certain names that have special meaning or significance with regard to the Internet: nic.fo,
web.fo, co.fo, ftp.fo, www.fo, telnet.fo, irc.fo, internet.fo and mail.fo.
4. Names that obviously would be suitable for entities serving the public weal, eg, the names of
islands, villages and towns.
§ 3. Allocation of Use Right and Grouping of Domain Names
1. A natural person or a legal entity (limited liability corporation, association, etc.) may be allocated
the right to use a domain name. The domain name must not violate the rights of a third party.
2. An application for a domain name shall be assigned to Group A Domain Names, if supported by
documentation from the various public registries referred to in § 4, or assigned to Group B Domain
Names and placed on a waiting list, pursuant to § 5.
§ 4. Group A Domain Names
1. To prove that the applicant has a legal right to a Group A domain name, upon application
supporting documentation shall be submitted from the authorities listed in sub-paragraph a
through c warranting
a. the brand name, trademark or service mark of the applicant by the Danish Patent and
Trademark Office;
b. the name of the applicant by the Faroese Business Registration Office, the Faroe Islands
Customs and Tax Authorities Business Registry or the Faroese Ship Registry maintained by
the Maritime Affairs Administration;
c. the personal name of the applicant by the National Resident Register in such manner as both
forename(s) and last name are written out or in such a manner that either the forename or the
last name is abbreviated. The applicant may register as well his or her birth date using either
numbers, letters or a combination of both.
2. Governmental offices and agencies and public organisations in the Faroe Islands (religious
communities, professional organisations, sports associations, interest groups, etc.) may also use
their own names with relevant warranting documentation.
3. The applicant that has warranted a name pursuant to paragraph 1 a, 1 b or paragraph 2, may, in
addition to the full name, be allocated the right to use the name in a stylised or abbreviated
fashion.
4. The FO Council retains the right to require other forms of verification to assure that the conditions
governing name registration are satisfied.
§ 5. Group B Domain Names
1. Applications for Group B Domain Names do not require warranting documentation. Group B
Domain Names shall be placed on a waiting list and shall be maintained on the list for a period of
twenty work days from the date the domain name is publicly announced pursuant to paragraph 2.
2. The Group B Domain Name Waiting List shall be available to the public during the waiting period
via the NIC.FO website, www.nic.fo, and announced in the Faroese newspapers.
3. During the waiting time, other applicants may submit an application for a domain name on the
waiting list if the applicant can demonstrate that the name was registered pursuant to § 4 before
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the domain name was placed on the waiting list. In the event that several applicants send in
applications for a domain name on the waiting list during the waiting period and each has a valid
right to be allocated the domain name, the FO Council shall arrange for a drawing between the
applicants.
4. Individuals may register either their forename(s) or last name as a Group B Domain Name. In the
event that several individuals subsequently submit applications for the same Group B domain
name as an earlier applicant during the waiting period assigned to the earlier applicant and they all
have a legitimate right to be allocated the domain name, the FO Council shall arrange for a
drawing among all the submitted applications.
5. If no one else submits an application for a Group B domain name that is registered on the waiting
list during the waiting period pursuant to paragraphs 3 or 4, the applicant shall be granted the right
to use the domain name.
6. The applicant for an additional fee (see the chart under § 13) may receive temporary permission
during the waiting period to use a domain name listed on the waiting list. In the event that no one
else has submitted an application for the domain name on the waiting list pursuant to paragraph 3
for which temporary permission had been granted, the first applicant shall be granted the right to
use the domain name.
§ 6. Foreign Brand Names, Trademarks, Service Marks
1. Natural persons or legal entities that are not registered in the Faroe Islands may only register
brand names, trademarks or service marks that are registered with the Danish Patent and
Trademark Office.
2. Those that wish to register a domain name that is similar to or that refers or alludes to a brand
name to which they themselves do not have the legal right and that is registered in Denmark /
Faroe Islands in the name of another shall demonstrate that he or she has permission to use the
brand name or trademark in this manner from the holder of the legal right.
S 7. Several Applications for the Same Domain Name
1. If applications are submitted for the same domain name from more than one applicant, the right to
use the domain name shall be allocated to the applicant who submitted first, conditioned on that
the application is valid pursuant to these regulations.
2. If several applications arrive on the same day for the same domain name and all the applicants
have an equally valid right to the domain name, the FO Council shall arrange for a drawing among
all the applicants.
§ 8. Liability
1. The allocation of the right to use a domain name in accordance with these regulations does not
devolve in any way the right to the name in any other connection. Actions brought by third parties
against the conveyed allocation shall in the first instance be lodged against those that have been
granted the right the use a domain name (the “holder”).
2. The FO Council and the FO Operator shall not be liable for the holder’s use of the domain name.
3. The applicant has the responsibility to ensure that the registration of the domain name does not
violate Faroese law or the rights of third parties.
4. The FO Council and the FO Operator assume no compensatory liability for possible direct or
indirect losses that may result from a delay in processing an application for a domain name or that
an application for a domain name is rejected.
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5. The allocation of the right to use a domain name is deemed individual and personal, which shall
be understood to mean that the FO Council or the FO Operator shall not be bound by possible
agreements entered into by the holder regarding the sale, mortgage, etc. of the domain name.
§ 9. Transfer of Domain Names
1. If the holder or its agent desires to change its Name Server, the holder or the agent shall submit to
the FO Operator information about the new IP address and possible other changes regarding this
transfer. Request for a transfer shall be in writing and signed.
2. Changes regarding the Name Server are provided free of charge. A fee is required for other
changes, see the chart under § 13.
§ 10. Cancellation of a Domain Name
1. If a holder desires to cancel its domain name, the holder shall submit a request to the FO
Operator. The request shall be in writing and signed. The holder does not have the right to a
refund for any unused part of the annual fee. The relevant domain name shall subsequently be
deleted from the registry and shall be available for others.
2. A domain name may not be merely abandoned.
§ 11. Warnings and Rescission
1. A warning shall be sent to the registered contact of the holder if
a. the annual fee is not paid in a timely manner;
b. a domain name is not operated in a technically appropriate manner, eg, the Name Server is
no longer functional, the domain name needs to be set up or has been wrongly set up with the
respective Name Server.
2. If the holder does not respond with four (4) weeks from the date that the warning was sent
pursuant to paragraph 1, the domain name shall be rescinded. The warning shall be sent via
email and by regular post to the registered address.
3. The FO Operator shall demand a fee to send a warning, see the chart under § 13.
4. The FO Council may rescind a domain name without notice, if
a. a court decision or a decision by the administrative governmental authority requires such
action;
b. the domain name is used in such a manner that is a significant violation of Faroese law.
§ 12. FO Council Appeal Procedures
1. In the event that the applicant is not satisfied with the decision of the FO Operator to reject an
application for a domain name, the applicant may appeal in writing to the FO Council. The request
shall be submitted to the office of the FO Operator.
2. Payment of the appeal fee shall be attached to the request, see the chart under § 13.
3. Appeals to the FO Council shall be submitted no later than two (2) weeks from the date that the
decision of the FO Operator was provided to the applicant.
4. Decisions of the FO Council shall be final.
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S 13. Fees
1. A registration fee shall be paid for registration of a domain name and subsequently the annual fee
then in effect on the date of invoice. The registration fee includes the annual fee for the calendar
year in which the registration is effected.
2. The registration fee shall be paid before technical linkages are put in place.
3. The FO Operator may refuse to provide services to applicants that are in arrears to the FO
Operator.
4. Fees (including MVG) as at 1 January 2002 are:
Fee for changes (except changes to the Name Server) 100 DKK pursuant to § 9.
Fee for notice warning 200 DKK pursuant to § 11.
Fee for appeal to FO Council 600 DKK pursuant to § 12.
Approved at the meeting of the FO Council, 4 June 2002.