Finns And Norwegians Argue Over Who Owns The Northern Lights

from the alaska? dept

Fri, Nov 18th 2011 6:38pm — Mike Masnick

Perhaps it's because I live in the US, but I always associated the Northern Lights/Aurora Borealis with Alaska. Apparently, over in Europe, they associate it with some Scandanavian countries... but apparently there's a bit of a fight over which one. Matthew A. Sawtell alerts us to what he refers to as "a sign of the times," in which Norwegians and Finns are fighting over who "owns" the Aurora Borealis. Apparently, the Norwegians believe that their country is most regularly associated with the phenomenon. But Finland has just kicked off a tourism campaign that focuses on highlighting that you can see the Northern Lights from Finland. And the Norwegians are none too pleased:

The tension was triggered by a short film that the Finnish Tourist Board posted on its channel on video-sharing platform YouTube, featuring time-lapse footage of the aurora in Finnish Lapland. The film has been viewed almost 400,000 times since September, prompting Norwegians to complain that the Finns are trying to "steal" the northern lights.

"We can not stand by and watch the Finns try to grab a bigger share" of the northern lights market, said Per-Arne Tuftin of Innovation Norway, a state-owned company that promotes tourism in Norway. "We will not give up -- the northern lights will be ours," he told the Troms&ostrok;-based newspaper Nordlys, whose name translates appropriately as Northern Lights. Back in 2009, Innovation Norway launched a campaign to brand the northern lights as a Norwegian phenomenon.

The idea of ownership over shared things is getting downright ridiculous.

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Filed Under: finland, northern lights, norway, ownership

47 Comments

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xenomancer (profile), 18 Nov 2011 @ 6:09pm

Downright Ridiculous
Hey! They're cutting in on my action and now they need to pay. I own the entitlement market!
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Esahc (profile), 18 Nov 2011 @ 6:56pm

And again, the Canadians get left out of the debate.
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nowhere, 18 Nov 2011 @ 7:04pm

It just sounds like the Norwegians are saying that the Finns are stealing tourist that want to see the northern lights, not really anything to do with stealing the northern lights or anything shared.
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Anonymous Coward, 18 Nov 2011 @ 7:06pm

No fair, the Finns have the moomins already.
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Gracey, 18 Nov 2011 @ 7:18pm

Silly.

You can see the Northern Lights from Ontario (um, the one in Canada).

We don't "own" them. Nobody does.
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That Anonymous Coward (profile), 18 Nov 2011 @ 7:38pm

The Norwegian people should demand that the entire tourism board be fired.
If your only selling point for the entire country is you can see the lights, you should not be trying to attract people to the country.

A smart response would have been saying you can see them there, or you could see them here and all of the other beautiful things in Norway.

This is stupid, we don't want to compete so they are stealing from us... where do they get this crappy business mod... oh wait I figured it out.
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davnel (profile), 18 Nov 2011 @ 7:40pm

Fighting children
Sounds to me like the kids are fighting again and need a time-out or two, maybe no dinner for either.
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Anonymous Coward, 18 Nov 2011 @ 8:01pm

For the stupidity shown I propose Finland and Norway both be banned from using any sunlight. Let it be distributed among the rest of the people of the world, who can doubtless make better use of it.
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Anonymous Coward, 18 Nov 2011 @ 8:27pm

There is not a large amount of sunlight in the northern latitudes during the winter months, so it stands to reason they need some "hook" to try and get $$$ from tourists.

Sounds to me as if this is the free market at work...competitors trying to one up each other by connecting with fans and giving them a reason to buy.

Nothing quite like freezing your *** off to see a light show that is quite easily visible from more hospitable climes.
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Casey, 18 Nov 2011 @ 9:02pm

Mr. President, we must not allow... a Northern Lights gap!
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PopeRatzo (profile), 18 Nov 2011 @ 9:03pm

My money is on Finland
This is how shooting wars start.

Full disclosure: I think Finland is one of the most beautiful places in the world. I've been there summer and winter and it is a wonderful place.

Anyway, that's nothing. Here in the US we have major cities involved in an argument over who is going to be most known for brutalizing people trying to exercise their First Amendment rights.
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Rose M. Welch (profile), 18 Nov 2011 @ 9:54pm

Ownership culture, ftf.
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Pixelation, 18 Nov 2011 @ 10:10pm

I own the rights...
to any stories regarding Northern Lights. Cease and desist, Mr. Masnick, before I send the forces of Valhalla to inflict mighty retribution.
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Boaz, 18 Nov 2011 @ 10:57pm

The Aurora Borealis is not a phenomenon. I learned that when i was a freshman in hs. The cause and effect is simple science.
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Ima Fish (profile), 19 Nov 2011 @ 7:47am

"We can not stand by and watch the Finns try to grab a bigger share" of the northern lights market..."

The quotes read like something written for the Onion. Are you sure this isn't a joke?
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Anonymous Coward, 19 Nov 2011 @ 8:10am

Re:
Oh have no fear, here in Finland we won't be using any of the worlds precious sunlight for the next 4 months.
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Jesse (profile), 19 Nov 2011 @ 8:58am

Re:
Beat me to the punch. I was going to [politely] remind everyone that Canada has more "northern" than the US, Finland and Norway combined. So kindly, sit down, if that isn't too much trouble.
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Anonymous Coward, 19 Nov 2011 @ 9:37am

The idea of ownership over shared things is getting downright ridiculous.

No, I think you need to go right to... LUDICROUS SPEED! Though I do agree, trying to claim ownership of a natural phenomenon makes about as much sense as Spaceball 1 going to plaid.
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btrussell (profile), 19 Nov 2011 @ 9:43am

Re:
If not, they are going to have to build one hell of a wall to stop me from seeing them from here in Canada.
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Killercool (profile), 19 Nov 2011 @ 9:49am

Re:
... There is a difference between a "phenomenon" and a "supernatural phenomenon."
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Anonymous Coward, 19 Nov 2011 @ 10:31am

I wonder if they'd also argue which country, hypothetically speaking, that you would need to fly into the aurora borealis from to find a time rip and the langoliers.
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Anonymous Coward, 19 Nov 2011 @ 10:56am

Re: Re:
Yes, but unlike Canada, Finland and Norway actually have a decent sized population, not to mention tourists, that far north. 90% of Canada's population lives within 50 miles of the US border. So you may kindly sit down as well.
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Anonymous Coward, 19 Nov 2011 @ 10:59am

Re:
Apparently you didn't learn the definition of "phenomenon" when you were in school.
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Anonymous Coward, 19 Nov 2011 @ 11:01am

Re:
The quotes read like something written for the Onion.

I was thinking the exact same thing.
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winstonsmith (profile), 19 Nov 2011 @ 11:48am

Fuck everyone, They belong to Canada.
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Anonymous Coward, 19 Nov 2011 @ 12:12pm

"The idea of ownership over shared things is getting downright ridiculous."

I own the air you breathe. Now pay up!!
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TtfnJohn (profile), 19 Nov 2011 @ 1:17pm

Re: Re: Re:
Just the same the Aurora Borealis belongs to Canada! Just ask the Inuit. They'll conform many claims on them through the millenia. ;-)
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Atkray (profile), 19 Nov 2011 @ 5:49pm

Re:
Duh... it isn't the Norwegian Tourist Board it is

Innovation Norway.
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Atkray (profile), 19 Nov 2011 @ 5:52pm

Re: I own the rights...
Your claim fails.

If however your name was Thor there would be no dispute.
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hmm (profile), 19 Nov 2011 @ 6:34pm

SOPA again
Imagine if a law like SOPA passed in Finland and Norway.

Each side would be able to claim "infringement" of their northern lights copyrights/patent/trademark (etc you get the point) and shut the other's tourism board websites down.....

Is THAT what you want? Justin Bieber being totally removed from the net by Lady Gaga, who then gets rid of all of her musi.....no wait...stop....forget I just said that part!
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That Anonymous Coward, 19 Nov 2011 @ 7:11pm

Re: Re:
"Innovation Norway, a state-owned company that promotes tourism in Norway" So like a tourism board.

And their spokesman said -
"We will not give up -- the northern lights will be ours,"

So unless they are going to be all Montgomery Burns about it and build a giant disc to block the sky from Finland, he needs to be fired. Rather than compete, he wants to engage in a stupid battle that serves no one - except maybe Finland who are just saying... We've got lights to, and we don't have dreams of owning the whole sky.
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Matthew A. Sawtell, 19 Nov 2011 @ 10:45pm

Now for the rest of the quote...
Mike, looks like you forgot the tail end of what I said. "Just another sign of the times, or a distributing sign of what is to come".
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FuzzyDuck, 20 Nov 2011 @ 1:24am

No-one owns them
If it's just about seeing the northern lights then, Finland wins over Norway any time, because: Finland is a lot cheaper than Norway, and Finland has better infrastructure (roads).

Norway often have a misplaced sense of ownership, for instance they think the all the whales in the sea are theirs to kill.
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PaulT (profile), 20 Nov 2011 @ 4:50am

Funnily enough, I didn't realise that the northern lights were visible in Alaska, I'd always associated them with Greenland and Scandinavia...

As for the story, well I've not seen this much idiocy surrounding the northern lights since Americans decided to rename it The Golden Compass ;)
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Gill Bates, 20 Nov 2011 @ 5:59am

OK, I won the SUN and want...
EVERYONE who enjoys MY daylight to send me license fees...
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btrussell (profile), 20 Nov 2011 @ 6:49am

Re: OK, I won the SUN and want...
Your light from the Sun, which you claim to own, infringes on my darkness. Cease and desist NOW!
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mhenriday (profile), 20 Nov 2011 @ 7:09am

There's no need for the Finns or the Norwegians to get all hot and bothered ;
everybody knows that we Swedes own the norrsken. Why our (unofficial) national song refers to �Din himmel� (Your sky), which for all unbiased observers should suffice to clinch the argument. Tourists are, of course, welcome to observe the phenomenon, but woe betide them if any pieces of the Lights are discovered on them when they pass through check-in at the aeroport on the way home !...

Henri
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The Devil's Coachman (profile), 20 Nov 2011 @ 9:03am

I own sunrises, and have a patent pending on sunsets.
For everyone who looks at either, you will pay me whatever I require.
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Atkray (profile), 20 Nov 2011 @ 9:24am

Re: Re: Re:
"Innovation Norway, a state-owned company that promotes tourism in Norway, So like a tourism board."

Yes I got that.
Maybe my head cold is worse that I thought, I was referring to the fact that it seems like now any group or piece of legislation can be expected to do the exact opposite of what the name implies...so my comment was a duh (not directed at The Right Honorable TAC) but referring to the name Innovation Norway and the implication that with such a name there is a near zero probability they will actually do anything innovative.
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fb39ca4 (profile), 20 Nov 2011 @ 10:05am

Russia
If that was the case, then shouldn't Russia own the Earth because they have the most land on it?
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aikiwolfie, 20 Nov 2011 @ 11:18am

WTF!?!
The northern lights aren't "owned" by anybody. How can they be? They are a natural phenomenon that happens when particles from the sun enter the atmosphere. And they can be seen quite far south if the conditions are right.

Are these idiots going to sue people for infringement if we happen to see the northern lights from Glasgow (Scotland) or even London (England)?

This whole thing is just stupid and idiotic and one more reason to dig a hole and hide in it until the world ends.
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andrea, 20 Nov 2011 @ 7:05pm

Silly people, everyone knows Canada owns them.
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Sean T Henry (profile), 21 Nov 2011 @ 6:15am

Re:
Last month it could be seen from parts of Georgia.
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Fushta (profile), 21 Nov 2011 @ 6:51am

Our Partial Apologies
I am only 1/6 Finnish, so on behalf of 16.666666666666666666666666666667% of the Finnish population, I apologize.
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Stuart, 21 Nov 2011 @ 7:04am

Re:
The Canadians should go on strike.
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Conscientiouspirate (profile), 21 Nov 2011 @ 9:25am

As a Norwegian, I feel a few points need to be clarified.

1) The Finns are completely crazy. The northern lights are visible from northern Norway 80% of the time, while they are only visible from northern Finland 75% of the time. How can they want tourists to visit them with only 75% chance of northern lights instead of 80%? They're insane!

2) We are simple people in Scandinavia, still used to the old ways of using stealing and owning things as metaphors when talking about markets. Much like Apple owning the mp3-player market and Pepsi stealing 5% of the cola market from Coca Cola last year.
We haven't yet grasped the new ways of trademarking, copyrighting or perhaps patenting the northern lights and enforcing our rights via lawsuits, or if that fails lobbying for stricter celestial penomenon rights. We'll catch up soon though.
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The Northen Lights, 2 Dec 2011 @ 5:46am

We do not recognize any borders
We do not recognize any borders.

No one is useless to our own glory, we walk freely in the sky.

The Northen Lights
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