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Launch of .eu internationalised domain names (IDNs)
23/11/2009

From 10 December 2009, companies and private persons based in the European Union will be able to register .eu Internationalised Domain Names (IDNs).
IDNs are domain names that contain non-ASCII (American Standard Code for Information Interchange) characters. Computers only recognize numbers, so the ASCII code was developed as a sequential formula for representing characters as numbers. This is the most common code for text on computers. In common usage, ASCII means a text file that doesn’t include any formatting (plain text).

Non-ASCII (pronounced As-key) characters include, for example, the Swedish å, the German ü, and characters from the Bulgarian and Greek alphabets. Not all characters are supported by IDNs, however. For example, the German ß is not allowed.

IDNs are particularly important for .eu as the European Union has 27 Member States and 23 official languages. Many of these languages have non-ASCII characters in their alphabets.

If you wish to register any .eu IDNs, please contact our Domain Department at Extension 1768.

Steven Yeates
Partner
steven-y@adamsadams.co.za
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The Consumer Protection Act, 2008 (the CPA) is coming into force on 31 March 2011. It will have a significant effect on the supply of goods and services. The act will also regulate the relationship between suppliers and consumers in detail.

One of the most controversial provisions of the CPA relates to the liability of suppliers. If someone supplies goods, and those goods cause harm to the consumer, the supplier will be liable for the harm. This will be the case even if the supplier was not negligent. Further, all parties in the supply chain can be held liable by the consumer. This includes the manufacturer, the wholesaler and the business that sells the goods to the public. 		  Related People Steven Yeates
Partner
Trade Mark Attorney
Tel: +27 (0) 12 432 6127
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The firm practises directly in several Southern African countries and through long-established associates in others.