.eu Registry Contract Signed!

[ExpireGuy]

"The Commission signed an agreement on 12 October with the EURid consortium to act as the Registry for the .eu top-level domain (TLD), opening the way for the introduction of new domain names by 2005."

sources:http://dbs.cordis.lu/cgi-bin/srchida...N_RCN_ID:22763

and

http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/041013/ukw002_1.html

Sunrise domain registration info at: http://www.eurodns.com/preregister/euinfo.php

[Domagon]

.EU will be about as useful as .US; Europe and U.S. are somewhat similar in population size and economic size.

With that said, there will likely be a rush as there as been with other various TLD launches.

Sunrise period should be interesting ... pretty much anyone with a registered trademark in Europe and/or in various other select countries outside the EU, including the U.S., will be able to pre-register.

The EU scams are really going to be heating up now ... get ready for the next deluge of EU "reservation" spam ... even though, according to the EU TLD timeline, Sunrise (2 phases) likely won't even happen until around late summer, and the registry likely won't open fully until late 2005, or more likely, 2006.

Ron

[ExpireGuy]

.EU will be about as useful as .US; Europe and U.S. are somewhat similar in population size and economic size.

True. However the internet user saturation is different. If Germany and the UK can be used as an example .de just past 8 million in registrations, with the .uk hovering at close to 3.7 milllion. They by far extend beyond the current .us stats for registrations.
A continued strong showing of the euro currency I'm banking will also be a factor when the extention is finally released.

The EU scams are really going to be heating up now ... get ready for the next deluge of EU "reservation" spam ... even though, according to the EU TLD timeline, Sunrise (2 phases) likely won't even happen until around late summer, and the registry likely won't open fully until late 2005, or more likely, 2006.

Ron

No doubt. History always has a way of repeating itself. It was only two years ago when the .eu pre reg scams hit the fan. Anyone that pays up front is simply asking for a hole in the proverbial wallet.

[Steen]

When I'm in the EU, it seems the companies are using all sorts of horrible domain names. I see adverts for .eu.com, .tv etc.

While here (N America) it seems most people who use TV to advertise use .com (the best choice) with the occasional exception.

Maybe this will give EU companies a good alternative, seems like there are a lot of companies "local" to the EU, but not to one specific country.
I am interested in how this will play out.

Shouldn't EURid be quoted? Who is EURODNS?

[seeker]

eu.com doesn't seem to be doing bad within the EU for businesses.
I have seen quiet a few ads here using it.
the .eu will probably succeed within this largest western single market (and the worlds largest non communist market), because it gives the ability for many companies to differentiate themselves with a unique identity from .com which is widely seen as a north American extension (wrongfully so IMO).
I still think .com is #1 though.
but taking into account the different nationalities and languages, a single identifying tld for the 25 member nations is actually a very logical step.
while .de is famous, .be and others are not as famous, so .eu would automatically 'lift' their status while at the same time giving them a specific identity geopolitically and socioeconomically.

[ExpireGuy]

Shouldn't EURid be quoted? Who is EURODNS?

Here's the release from Eurid.org:

http://eurid.org/News/press121004.htm

It should also be stated that:

"PLEASE NOTE THAT AT THIS TIME IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO REGISTER OR PRE-REGISTER A .EU DOMAIN NAME WITH EURid AND THERE ARE NO ACCREDITED REGISTRARS FOR .EU."

Source official homepage for European Registry of Internet Domain Names.
eurid.org