No .eu domain for the Swiss

[meinthecorner]

By Jan Libbenga
Published Monday 21st November 2005 15:52 GMT

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/11/21/swiss_domains/

The Swiss won't be able to register for the ".eu" web domain when the European Union (EU) begins accepting registrations for internet addresses next month, even though the country is in the heart of Europe.

EU regulations prohibit non-members from registering. Only people resident within the EU or undertakings having their registered office, central administration or principal place of business within the European Community can apply.

Beat Fehr, head of one of two Swiss internet firms accredited to sell ".eu" addresses, now fears that cybersquatters may snap up Swiss names. Companies such as Nestle and Swatch may loose their .eu web names to foreigners.

Fehr says that the ".eu" domain should be assigned to all European countries. But that is not likely to happen. According to Swissinfo The Swiss Federal Communications Commission sought talks with the EU, but to no avail. The Swiss are not the only people left in the cold. Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway are also non-EU members.&reg.

 

[domaingenius]

Interesting. Has anyone checked out the list of .u registrars lately ? See that there is a very very keen guy/s from Chichester have bought up about 15 registrars as have the Austrians. I tend to think that the best names are gone in 60m seconds.

DG

 

[bb99]

I don't know much about this, but presumably that's the .eu equivalent of setting up multiple memberships under different corporate ownership (but common control) - hence getting multiple interfaces into the registration system.

(That's how it looks anyway, I'm not alledging foul play).

I would have thought that they would have a similar anti-avoidance policy to the Nominet one. Is that not so?

 

[domaingenius]

Eurid dont seem to care about who does what ,but I can see that the s will hit the fan after the sunrise period is over when everyone starts asking why a Registrar has taken all the names for himself, and no im not talking of anyone in Chichester doing anything whatsoever unlawful just pointing out facts. The EC appointed Eurid to appoint registrars to sell domains to the Public, not to use the status to grab names for themselves which I can only presume is the motive behind many multiple registrars. Maybe could sanction 2 or 3, but 10 to 15 ??.
After the Sunrise period no doubt many will cash in their chips (10k's) and go back to their day job.

DG

 

[singlefile]

Rather than being a 'common market,' the EU is, in the main, a gravy train for the few [i.e. MEPs] so there'd be nothing new in such a killing by a few, well-placed members of the croney-club ... it literally goes with the territory.