.eus

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Status:	Delegated
Language:	Basque Language
Manager:	PuntuEus Association
Type:	Generic TLD
Category:	Culture
Community:	Basque Language & Culture Community
Priority #:	765 - PuntuEus Association

.eus is a new generic top level domain name (gTLD) proposal to the New gTLD Program of the ICANN by PuntuEus Association. The organization is dedicated to representing, preserving and promoting the endangered Basque language & culture by establishing its own online space and to serve as the registry operator of the TLD. The proposed application succeeded and was delegated to the Root Zone on 11 April 2014.

It seems to be following the success of .cat as an sTLD for the Catalan community. "Eus is the contraction of “Euskara”, which means “basque language” in Basque." The organization has the written support of a wide-range of Basque centric entities. Puntueus Fundazioa plans to restrict registration to legitimate and well-inteioned actors within the Basque cultural-linguistic community; It will first seek out prominent entities in the community prior to general launch, and post general launch it will "[require registrants] to state their intended use of the registered domain name. A false statement of intended use is an indication of bad faith and can be the basis for the suspension of the domain name."

European Commission Communiqué

The European Commission flagged the application for .eus outside of ICANN's defined remediation processes.

Just after ICANN's GAC issued its Early Warnings, which are advice given from one GAC member country to an applicant warning it of potential issues within its application, the European Commission issued a letter to all applicants within the new gTLD program. The letter highlights 58 applications that "could raise issues of compatibility with the existing legislation .. and/or with policy positions and objectives of the European Union." It notes a desire to open a dialogue with each offending applicant.

The Commission specifically notes that this objection is not a part of the GAC Early Warning process, and goes on to note that "the Commission does not consider itself legally bound to [ICANN] processes," given that there is not legal agreement between the two bodies.

Registration Details

The following is excerpted from the applicant's response to question #18 of its TLD application:

"Registrations under the .eus TLD are restricted to bona-fide members of the Basque linguistic and cultural community, and subject to the further requirement that the registrant’s actions in the .eus community, as well as the registrant’s use of the registered domain name, must be:
(i) generally accepted as legitimate; and
(ii) beneficial to the cause and the values of the Basque linguistic and cultural community; and
(iii) commensurate with the role and importance of the registered domain name; and
(iv) in good faith at the time of registration and thereafter.
The registration policies are differentiated between Pre-launch phase, Launch phase and General Availability.
1. Pre-launch phase During Pre-launch, projects and content provision commitments are actively sought and negotiated, especially for key public-interest portions of the name space. All potential registrants and mandate holders are subject to screening and thorough pre-validation. For more details on the pioneer and the name space program, please see response to Q18 c) below
2. Launch phase
During the Launch phase, all registrations are thoroughly pre-validated; Launch phase pre-validation depends on priority status but will always involve community nexus. For further details about the community nexus, please see response to Q20 e) below. The Launch phase includes 3 categories for registrants with prior rights, and a fourth one, which is in fact, a Landrush, running in parallel in time, but being the lowest in priority. The categories are the following according to hierarchy:
- Entities which have a specific vocation in promoting Basque language and⁄or culture, including Basque Public Authorities.
- Trademark and other distinctive signs rights holders. This includes trademarks validated by the Trademark Clearinghouse and designations of origin.
- Entities with previous online communications in Basque. Applicants will be requested to provide the URL where their significant content in Basque may be found and checked. (This category is restricted to legal entities, and does not allow “fantasy names”)
- No prior rights. Eligible registrants not able to claim any of the priorities listed above will be able to apply during the whole duration of the Launch phase, as a preparation for an orderly and transparent Landrush.
3. Post-launch: General Availability
At General Availability, community nexus is subject to post-validation by way of an extensive compliance program based on the same criteria that form the basis of the TLD: language and culture. The ongoing compliance program will regularly be adapted to current needs based on experience and audit findings. Community nexus validation combined with strong protection of trademarks helps stamp out cybersquatting and abusive registrations."

Contract Signed

On 12 December 2013 PuntuEus Association received a Registry Agreement signed by ICANN for .eus after passing all the required processes needed to become a Registry Operator for the string.

Delegation and Availability

.eus was delegated to the Root Zone of the DNS on 11 April, 2014, completing the successful application for the string.