If that's the case, then .uk doesn't launch to the public properly until June 2019 because it is simply launching to existing customers in June 2014.
It launches in nearly 2 phases, effectively, with a transition area of 5 years between them.
Phase 1: On 10 June 2014
A) you can register any "unblocked" .uk, first come, first served. That leaves trillions of possibilities (actually the number's much much much much bigger than that) but admittedly not the nice commercial ones.
B) approx 10 million .uk will be blocked (until 10 June 2019) for the owner of a specific domain name. That specific domain name is the only one that will EVER have the automatic right to register that particular .uk domain.
Phase 1.X: From 10 June 2014 until 10 June 2019
A) Owners of domains with the right to the .uk can register the .uk
B) Domains with the right to the .uk that expire and get deleted (and for which the .uk remains unregistered) unblock the right to the .uk, goes to first come first served
C) People can continue to register .uk that aren't blocked, just as they could on 10 June 2014
Phase 2: On 10 June 2019
A) the blocks are lifted on all remaining .uk so anything that's not already been registered becomes first come first served.
B) There is no B - that's it!
NOTE: Transferring a domain with the right to the .uk gives that right to the new owner, even between 10 June 2014 and 10 June 2019. But deleting it removes that right.
