Domain Registration Related News
.EU Domains Open for General Registration
February 2006
Hostway Corporation is warning companies that they only have two
months until the floodgates for general registration of .eu domains
open on the 7th of April.
This follows the opening of the second sunrise period for the new .eu
domain name on the 7th of February. The second sunrise period allows
all those previously eligible to register for the dot eu domain name,
and now also allows other claimants with a valid stake to a name to
register, for example, family names. Companies and other individuals
which do not act to protect their brand identity before the 7th of
April risk losing the domain name to other companies or cybersquatters.
According to Hostway, the dot eu domain name is only available to
companies or people resident within the European Community, and the
first sunrise period limited registrations to public bodies,
trademarks and geographical areas. These categories have now broadened
to allow more companies and individuals to register their interest.
During the second sunrise period, company names, business identifiers,
the names of books or other artistic works, unregistered trade marks,
trade names and family names can be applied for. However, as the
largest top level domain name release for several years, companies are
faced with both an opportunity and a challenge. Failure to register
for the name could mean loss of corporate pan-European identity, or
worse still third parties undermining company trademarks and expensive
re-acquisitions of the domain name later on.
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