Stockholm fears Web porn label

Stockholm: City officials say no to porn

STOCKHOLM, Sweden -- City officials in Stockholm fear the Swedish capital is about to have its name associated with a pornographic Web site.

The city has tried unsuccessfully for 10 years to acquire the domain name -- www.stockholm.com -- initially held by an individual in Florida, information technology department head Kjell Bergefall said.

It is now looking for ways to stop an adult entertainment company in Spain from launching a Web site on the domain name.

Bergefall said the issue became more pressing this week when it became clear that the travel information previously posted on the site would be replaced with adult entertainment.

"Before it contained tourist information about Stockholm. Now it will contain a message we don't think our citizens are as interested in," Bergefall said.

The domain contained an announcement from Barcelona, Spain-based Private Media Group, saying it would launch a Web site later this year with a "unique picture of Sweden, its natural beauty and charm."

Spokesman Andre Ribeiro told the Associated Press the company was planning to launch a Web site on the domain but declined to comment further.

Several American cities including San Diego, Seattle, Baltimore, Detroit and Nashville have had their names appropriated for pornography.

Apart from the city of Barcelona, which wrested away www.barcelona.com from a New York-based company that used it for a news site, few cities have been successful in court battles over domain names.