The .EU landrush fiasco.
A bumbling registry allows Europe’s very own domain name to be highjacked!

Europe’s .EU domain is being hijacked!
What happens when you match an inept registry with crafty businessmen? The answer is a really large scam. This is what is taking place with the “landrush” introduction of the new .EU top level domain name. This breaking story is a fascinating study of both grand manipulation and lax administration on the part of the EURid registry.

The landrush was supposed to make the process fair.
It’s important to remember that the purpose of the landrush introduction period of a registry, is to provide a fair way to give everyone an equal chance at getting the really good names that are available early on. To do this, most registries take great pains to set up a level playing field, so that all registrars have an equal chance of getting these good names for their customers.

The requirements to be a .EU registrar were just too easy.
To be a registrar for the .EU registry, companies had to:

1. Attest that they were an individual business entity and were only applying for one registrar accreditation.
2. Attest that they were offering registrations to their customers on an equal basis.
3. Make a deposit of 10,000 euros (about US$12,000).