Andrew Polaszek and colleagues propose an open-access web-register for animal names, which they believe is vital to move taxonomy into the twenty-first century. The International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (the fourth edition is online at http://www.iczn.org/iczn/index.jsp ) was established to bring order to the naming of animal species. It is administered by the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN), a body set up in 1895 to take on the task on behalf of all zoologists. In this issue of Nature, ICZN executive secretary Andrew Polaszek, together with representatives of many of the world's major natural history museums, argues the case for a major upgrade to the ‘Code’ for its next edition. ZooBank would be a web-based open-access resource, bolstered by mandatory registration for new names. ICZN has started a year-long consultation with a view to having ZooBank up and running for the 250th anniversary of Linnaeus' system of animal nomenclature in 2008.