and the Bahamas' international business sectors.

The fee-based service is available through the Internet. David Marchant, the principal behind Offshore Business News & Research, Inc., used to work for The Royal Gazette and The Bermuda Sun before moving on to Miami to produce the newsletters Offshore Alert and Inside Bermuda.

He has now created four databases on Bermuda. One contains details of lawsuits filed at Bermuda Supreme Court since January, 1986. Another database contains details of companies struck off the Bermuda Companies Register, cancellations or suspensions of insurance licences, applications by foreigners purchasing property on the Island, and applications for Bermudian status filed from 1990.

A third database, going back to January 1997, contains details of legal notices companies are required to advertise when making applications to incorporate or make changes to the company. Another database contains details of shareholders from the share registers of 495 companies in Bermuda.

The databases on the Bahamas and the Caymans contains information about businesses and people operating in those countries. In a press release Mr.

Marchant said he planned to add information on lawsuits filed in the Grand Court of the Caymans by the end of the year.

Searches of the database cost $16, while access to each result costs $8. Mr.

Marchant also provides a library of about 900 articles going back to 1992.

Access to a story costs $5.

Access to the databases can be found at www.offshore.com.