.EU DOMAIN NAMES OPEN TO COMPANIES.

• Position: Brief Article

After public bodies, companies and enterprises started on February 7 started their rush for .eu internet domain names hoping to give themselves a European identity and added commercial advantage. The first wave of registrations, reserved for public bodies and registered trade names began on December 7, operating on a strictly first come first served basis.

On February 7, the gates to the haven for .eu domain names opened just a little further, in future applications can be made in company names, non registered trademarks or even art or literary works. "In concrete terms, anyone with prior rights can apply but the main source of applications are expected to be company names" said a spokesperson for Eurid, the consortium appointed by the Commission to manage the .eu domain name until 2010.

The main aim of these two initial phases is to prevent...