Rush is on to register '.eu' domain name

BRUSSELS, Belgium (AP) -- Some 300,000 Europeans rushed to register their new ".eu" Internet domain names in the first hour of being able to sign up to the new Web site addresses, European Union officials said Friday.

Registrations for the new domain name opened up to those who reside in the 25-nation EU on a first-come, first served basis, the European Commission said.

EU Commissioner Viviane Reding said the Commission hopes the new ".eu" name will one day rival the ".com" name.

"Europe and its citizens can now project their own Web identity, protected by EU rules," she said, adding that 300,000 people registered within the first hour of registration on Friday morning. Most were from Britain, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden and Belgium, she said.

http://edition.cnn.com/2006/TECH/internet/04/07/eu.domain.ap/index.html