The European Commission has just launched an on-line
consultation asking individual citizens, businesses, governments
and public authorities if they feel threatened by cybersquatting.
The results will feed into the Commission’s consideration of public
policy rules regarding the imminent launch of the European Union’s
.eu top level domain.
The consultation aims to help the Commission develop rules to
address the speculative and abusive registration of domain names
similar to the .eu top level domain, which is being developed under
the responsibility of the Commission's Directorate-general for the
Information Society, in line with the ".eu" Regulation adopted by
the European Parliament and the Council in April 2002.
Internal Market Commissioner Frits Bolkestein said: “We want to
prevent abuses by cybersquatters in the future .eu top level
domain, without hindering legitimate internet users.”
In the questionnaire, citizens and businesses are asked whether
they have ever received threatening letters from cybersquatters,
and whether, trying to register a domain name, they were asked for
an extortionate sum of money by someone who had registered the same
internet address and refused to transfer it.
The deadline for responses is 31st October 2002.
