EU Sunrise Update

Sunrise Phase Two of the .eu domain name application process begins on February 7, 2006, and lasts until April 6, 2006. In addition to those who qualified to submit an application during Phase I, owners of any other prior rights recognized by a European Union member state are also qualified to register .eu domains during Phase II. This includes owners of a well-known trademark, an unregistered trademark (if protected in the member state in which the applicant is claiming the right), or the official name of a company as it is registered, trade names, or other business identifiers. The requirements of documentary evidence for the validation process vary depending upon the type of prior right claimed, and may include affidavits signed by the relevant competent authority attesting that the right claimed is protected by the particular member state, or proof that the right has met the member state's requirements to receive the protection of the prior right claimed. This second requirement in many instances may be fulfilled in the form of a Final Judgment by a court, a Certificate of Incorporation, or extract from a corporate registry.