Different brand for ISIS?
How about Internet Repayments for America?
You know, just as a Provisional name :P
US mobile payments biz Isis has decided to change its name to avoid associations with terrorist group the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). Isis – not an acronym for anything – offers a pay-by-tap platform that allows customers to use their NFC-enabled smartphones to make purchases wirelessly. As such, it competes …
If ISIS was formed in 2004 and the joint venture not until 2010, then our terrorists should be the ones suing - now that would be an interesting case. I'm sure they could find a Texan lawyer who'd take the case on ;-) Alternatively, I believe they have a reputation for direct action...
>>"If ISIS was formed in 2004 and the joint venture not until 2010, then our terrorists should be the ones suing "
This isn't particularly directed at you personally but I dislike the way "terrorist" is just coming to mean "our enemy" or even "side that we don't like". ISIS / The Islamic State are not terrorists by any sensible definition. They are an army and use conventional warfare.
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I assumed it was something to do with the Levant region and the close association between Palestine/Israel and Egypt. I might be mistaken about that, but many elements of Ancient Egyptian religions, myths and customs were integrated into the Jewish and Islamic faiths and folklore after Moses and Co pulled a runner and left Egypt.
The deeper you get into the non-canon, but still recognized as valid supporting teachings, of the most fundamentalist sub-groups of both the Jewish and Islamic faiths the more the Egyptian stuff becomes a bigger factor.
I really don't know for certain though. I wish I had known about this payment company sooner though. The other day a guy I know told me he had just updated his Galaxy phone and it now supported Isis wallet. He was always a bit sketchy, so it was perfectly natural that I assumed he had installed some sort of militia fundraising software. After I got delivery confirmation of the prayer rugs, Quran's, chemistry books and pressure cooker he 'ordered' I arranged for him to meet this guy I know at Homeland Security. Now I feel pretty bad though. He's fat, and rather pasty, so I fear he may get severely sunburned while in Cuba.
>>"Why would a bunch of muslim extremists name themselves after an ancient Egyptian goddess?"
They didn't. ISIS is an English-language translation of their Arabic name. Just like you saw CCCP on those old Soviet rockets rather than USSR because the words were different in the original language.
They actually prefer to call themselves the Islamic State anyway. They're not constraining their ambitions.
Well yes, I know that. But they really should have done more market research on how their name would have turned out in other countries. I mean car makers and the like do their best (but sometimes fail) to make sure that their latest model doesn't translate into 'giant wang' or 'flatulent sheep' or something else embarasing in some language or other.
In this case it's particularly bad. Not only are the initials taken, but correspond to another earlier religion's goddess. If car makers were that careless you'd have French manufacturers naming their large family car after a British small single seater electric buggy. Oh, wait a minute, you may have a point...
> market research on how their name would have turned out in other countries.
INFIDEL: Hah!! your acronym is the name of an Egyptian Goddess which is against the quran!
ISIS [shoots infidel]: **Bang**
INFIDEL [falling down dead]: Ugh... Never thought of that..
When you have weapons and you don't give a shit for the life of anybody who does not agree with you, market research is irrelevant.
"Just like you saw CCCP on those old Soviet rockets rather than USSR because the words were different in the original language."
And there is no "S" in Cyrillic, they use "C", and the "P" is the Greek "rho"; so you're actually seeing "SSSR" (Soyuz Sovetskikh Sotsialisticheskikh Respublik).
Isis should sue the hell out of ISIS: Intellectual Property theft via willful infringement of a Registered Trademark.
If nothing else I like to imagine the look on their faces when they open a cease and desist letter from a US law firm demanding they change their name or risk facing severe penalties. Wouldn't it be great if they just packed up shop and went home. I bet nobody has tried it before. I wonder if they would write back? I would write back. This whole mess is far too great of an opportunity to pass up.
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Islamic Territories of Iraq and the Levant
Just imagine all those jobs requiring ITIL certification being investigated by the NSA or whatever and all the training courses or being refused entry to the US for being ITIL certified.
With a little more thought they could have caused quite a bit more disruption.
now, if I said that, and if I meant it as an encouragement to the evil doers (turban, long beard, camel stuffed with explosives, that kind of thing) - I'd be in trouble (I probably AM in trouble already). But if I meant this as an encouragement to the good guys (freedom flag on a pole, can of coke in hand, air-con base, joystick, monitor, predator or other bird of prey (pray? pry? ;) blasting away the evil camel and its pal, that would be, presumably, commendable? Asymmetric warfare, assymetric times.