.eu is the first TLD dedicated exclusively to the European community. As a domain space it is therefore going to represent over 450m people across Europe and is a major step forward for establishing one online market and meeting place for the EU community.

If you are a Trademark attorney, in-house legal counsel, corporate brand manager or marketing manager, then securing your company's (or your client's) key Trademarks and brands in the new .eu domain space is likely to be on your agenda at present.

So, how can you quickly and easily protect key Trademarks and brands in .eu? ... The answer is Melbourne IT Digital Brand Services. We are a EURid-accredited registrar and provide a comprehensive application service for the .eu domain space.

On 7 April 2006 .eu domain name registration will open to all eligible applicants.

The Phase 1 release of the .eu domain on 7 December 2005, which was focused on owners of registered trademarks and public bodies, attracted over 150,000 applications according to EURid, the .eu domain name registry.

On 7 February 2006 we also saw the commencement of .eu Phase 2.

Phase 2, which is currently under way, allows a wider range of eligibility types or other 'prior rights' to apply. Phase 2 also allows applications from holders of 'prior rights' protected under the national law of the member state in which they are held, such as unregistered trademarks, trade names, business identifiers, company names, family names, and distinctive titles of protected literary and artistic works.

EURid confirmed in early February that 71,235 applications were received during the first hour of .eu Phase 2. This phase will continue right up until the Open Registration phase which commences on 7 April.

With the large interest already in .eu domains, Open Registration (also referred to as 'landrush') is an important phase for all registrants to prioritise applications as it is expected to attract considerable interest from the EU community.

The application process for Open Registration will be on a first-come-first-served principle, so planning which applications you wish to submit should start today.

For further information on .eu domain Open Registrations, please download the Melbourne IT Digital Brand Services .eu information kit which provides an overview on the main issues relating to this phase of the release of the .eu domain space.

Should you have any other questions, simply call the Melbourne IT Digital Brand Services office nearest to you.