.eu - Europes' Domain Name
The European Union has its own domain name suffix - .eu. For a long time Europe had been left out in the cold on the internet front but on 7th December 2005 this is came to an end.
The launch of the .eu domain was divided into three phases. The first two phases were to protect intellectual property rights. The last phase (phase three) opened the .eu domain registry to everyone else.
Phase One - 7th December 2005
Phase One - the initial launch - began on 7th December 2005. During Phase One, only domain names which correspond to the following criteria could be applied for:
- Registered community or national trademarks
- The full name of a public body
- The acronym by which a public body is commonly known
- The territory which is governed by a public body
These domain names could be applied for by the Public Body or the trademark holder or licensee.
Phase Two - 7th February 2006
During Phase Two of the .eu domain launch, domains which met the following criteria could be applied for:
- trade names
- company names
- business identifiers
- unregistered trademarks
- distinctive titles of protected literary and artistic work
- the names listed in Phase One
- other rights that are protected under the national law of the member state where they are held
Phase Three - 7th April 2006
When Phase Three started, the .eu registry opened its doors to normal registrations by everyone else. Anyone was be able to apply for a .eu domain name and Europeans were able to have their own domain name which uniquely identifies them as being from (and a part of) Europe.
If you are interested in registering a .eu domain name and acquiring your european identity, we recommend you try BB Online UK Ltd. BB Online are ICANN accredited and are also an accredited .eu registrar with over 13 years experience in international domain name registrations.