[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 81 (Wednesday, April 28, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 22866-22867]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-10642]


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FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM


Notice of Proposals to Engage in Nonbanking Activities or to 
Acquire Companies that are Engaged in Nonbanking Activities

    The companies listed in this notice have given notice under section 
4 of the Bank Holding Company Act (12 U.S.C. 1843) (BHC Act) and 
Regulation Y (12 CFR Part 225) to engage de novo, or to acquire or 
control voting securities or assets of a company that engages either 
directly or indirectly, in a nonbanking activity. These activities will 
be conducted worldwide.
    Each notice is available for inspection at the Federal Reserve Bank 
indicated. The notice also will be available for inspection at the 
offices of the Board of Governors. Interested persons may express their 
views in writing on the question whether the proposal complies with the 
standards of section 4 of the BHC Act.
    Unless otherwise noted, comments regarding the applications must be 
received at the Reserve Bank indicated or the offices of the Board of 
Governors not later than May 21, 1999.
    A. Federal Reserve Bank of New York (Betsy Buttrill White, Senior 
Vice President) 33 Liberty Street, New York, New York 10045-0001, and 
Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago (Philip Jackson, Applications Officer) 
230 South LaSalle Street, Chicago, Illinois 60690-1413:
    1. Barclays PLC and Barclays Bank PLC, both of London, England; 
Bayerische Hypo- und Vereinsbank AG, Munich, Germany; Deutsche Bank AG, 
Frankfurt, Germany; and Stichting Prioriteit ABN AMRO Holding, 
Stichting Administratiekantoor ABN AMRO Holding, ABN AMRO Holding N.V., 
and ABN AMRO Bank N.V., all of Amsterdam, The Netherlands 
(collectively, Notificants) to engage de novo in digital certification 
and data processing and data transmission activities, as described 
below. Notificants also propose to engage in activities that they 
maintain are incidental to permissible digital certification and data 
processing and data transmission activities.
    Notificants propose to acquire more than 5 percent of the 
outstanding voting interests in Global Trust Organization, LLC, New 
York, New York (Company), a de novo limited liability company. Other 
investors in Company would include national banks and state member 
banks. Company would serve as the rulemaking authority for a network of 
participating financial institutions (Network), which would include 
Notificants, future equity investors in Company, and other financial 
institutions that elect to participate in the Network (collectively, 
Participants). The Network is designed to allow Participants to certify 
electronically the identity of parties conducting business or 
communicating electronically through the internet or otherwise. 
Participants in the Network would, among other things, issue to 
customers ``digital certificates'' that authenticate messages 
electronically sent by the customer, and confirm the validity of 
digital certificates issued by Participants. Participants also may 
issue warranties to customers who request

[[Page 22867]]

verification of digital certificates issued by Participants, and post 
collateral to secure claims under any warranty issued by the 
Participant.
    Company would develop, maintain, and enforce the rules governing 
the operation of, and participation in, the Network, and provide other 
services designed to facilitate the certification activities of 
Participants and operation of the Network. These activities would 
include issuing digital certificates to Participants and maintaining a 
current database of digital certificates that have been issued. Company 
and Participants would engage in a wide range of data processing and 
data transmission activities in connection with their proposed 
activities. A more complete description of the proposed activities of 
Company, Notificants, and other Participants is contained in the 
notices.
    Section 4(c)(8) of the BHC Act provides that a bank holding company 
may, with Board approval, engage in any activity that the Board has 
determined (by order or regulation) to be so closely related to banking 
or managing or controlling banks as to be a proper incident thereto. 
The Board previously has determined that certain data processing and 
data transmission services are closely related to banking for purposes 
of section 4(c)(8) of the BHC Act, pursuant to Sec.  225.28(b)(14) of 
Regulation Y. Notificants contend that all of the proposed activities 
are so closely related to banking as to be a proper incident thereto, 
or are activities that are incidental to permissible activities, 
pursuant to Sec.  225.21(a)(2) of Regulation Y.
    In determining whether the proposal satisfies the proper incident 
to banking standard of section 4(c)(8) of the BHC Act, the Board must 
consider whether consummation of the proposal can ``reasonably be 
expected to produce benefits to the public, such as greater 
convenience, increased competition, or gains in efficiency, that 
outweigh possible adverse effects, such as undue concentration of 
resources, decreased or unfair competition, conflicts of interests, or 
unsound banking practices.'' 12 U.S.C. 1843(c)(8). Notificants contend 
that consummation of the proposal will facilitate the development of 
electronic commerce and will have a beneficial effect on competition 
for identity certification and related services.
    In publishing the proposal for comment, the Board does not take a 
position on the issues raised by the proposal. Notice of the proposal 
is published solely to seek the views of interested persons on the 
issues presented by the proposal and does not represent a determination 
by the Board that the proposal meets, or is likely to meet, the 
standards of the BHC Act. The notices are available for immediate 
inspection at the Federal Reserve Banks indicated above and at the 
offices of the Board of Governors. Any request for a hearing on the 
notices must be accompanied by a statement of reasons explaining why a 
written presentation would not suffice in lieu of a hearing, 
identifying specifically any questions of fact that are in dispute, 
summarizing the evidence that would be presented at a hearing, and 
indicating how the party commenting would be aggrieved by approval of 
the proposal.

    Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, April 23, 
1999.
Robert deV. Frierson,
Associate Secretary of the Board.
[FR Doc. 99-10642 Filed 4-27-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6210-01-F