.eu Domains to Launch on December 7

EURid, the European organization tasked with managing the .eu top-level domain name, has announced it will begin offering registrations on December 7. To prevent cybersquatting, public bodies and trademark holders will be the first to register until February 7, 2006, when company names and artistic names can be claimed.

Starting April 7, 2006, .eu domains will be open for anyone to register. All domains will be offered on a first-come first-served basis, EURid says, and those registered in the initial phases will require legal proof of name ownership. The price to register a .eu domain will vary depending on the reseller.