18(b) How do you expect that your proposed gTLD will benefit registrants, Internet users, and others?

Prototypical answer:

We expect that customers and users of our Xbox gaming and entertainment console, Kinect game system devices, and Xbox LIVE entertainment services will benefit if the .xbox gTLD registry allows us to lay the groundwork for providing a globally recognized and more secure platform to complement our on-going efforts to enhance the security, stability, and reliability of these consoles, devices, and services. We hope that the opportunity to provide our customers and users with an increased sense of security and authenticity for their interactions with the Xbox gaming and entertainment console, Kinect game system devices, and Xbox LIVE entertainment services has the potential to increase their confidence in and use of these consoles, devices, and services. We want our customers and users to connect, play, and communicate through a platform that they believe is secure and authentic. Depending on the extent of consumer recognition and acceptance of new gTLDs, it is conceivable that we could migrate our entire suite of Xbox LIVE entertainment services to the .xbox gTLD and use the .xbox gTLD to bring heightened gaming and lifestyle experiences to Xbox, Kinect, and Xbox LIVE users.

What is the goal of your proposed gTLD in terms of areas of speciality, service levels or reputation?

Tens of millions of customers use our Xbox gaming and entertainment console, Kinect game system devices, and Xbox LIVE entertainment services every month. The goal of the proposed .xbox registry is to lay the groundwork for providing customers who interact with Microsoft through the .xbox gTLD with an increased sense of security and authenticity, to protect the famous Xbox and Kinect brands, and to promote the Xbox gaming and entertainment console, Kinect game system devices, and Xbox LIVE entertainment services. Because the .xbox gTLD is the TLD counterpart to our famous Xbox brand and is a complement to our Kinect brand, the importance of maintaining and strengthening these brands dictates that we operate the .xbox gTLD registry to the highest service levels.

We anticipate that operation of the .xbox gTLD may provide us with the opportunity to use the gTLD as a globally recognized and more secure platform through which we can give our customers and users choice and flexibility and a familiar, easy-to-use interface through which we can continue to deliver to deliver amazing and innovative gaming and entertainment content and services.

What do you anticipate your proposed gTLD will add to the current space in terms of competition, differentiation or innovation?

Our proposed .xbox gTLD will add differentiation to the current space because it will be the only gTLD that has the potential to provide customers and users who interact with Microsoft through the .xbox gTLD with an increased sense of security and authenticity, to protect the famous Xbox and Kinect brands, and to promote the Xbox gaming and entertainment console, Kinect game system devices, and Xbox LIVE entertainment services. The tens of millions of online gaming fans demand platforms that are secure and stable and a gaming experience that is fast and realistic, capturing the imagination whatever the device that is being used – computer, television, tablet or telephone. We anticipate that our proposed .xbox gTLD will add competition to the current space to the extent it enables us to meet these demands of online gaming fans in a way that current gTLDs cannot. We anticipate that the opportunity to operate an .xbox gTLD has the potential to provide an authentic and secure platform through which we can continue our commitment to innovation.

What goals does your proposed gTLD have in terms of user experience?

The goals of the .xbox gTLD are to lay the groundwork for providing users who interact with Microsoft through the .xbox gTLD with an increased sense of security and authenticity for their gaming and entertainment experiences, to protect the Xbox and Kinect brands, and to promote to users the Xbox gaming and entertainment console, Kinect game system devices, and Xbox LIVE entertainment services.

Provide a complete description of the applicants intended registration policies in support of the goals above

The Microsoft Domain Name Management team is responsible for the development, maintenance and enforcement of the .xbox Domain Management Policy (xDMP). The xDMP defines the rules for eligibility and domain name allocation, sets out the terms governing the use of a .xbox domain name, and describes the dispute resolution policies for the .xbox TLD. We intend to update and revise the xDMP as appropriate to reflect Microsoft’s commercial and strategic interests as well as ICANN Consensus Policy and Temporary Policy developments. We summarize below the xDMP.

Registration of a .xbox domain name is a four-step process: Eligibility Confirmation, Naming Convention Check, Acceptable Use Review, and Registration.

Registration of a .xbox domain name will be restricted to Microsoft Corporation and its wholly owned subsidiaries.

All domains in the .xbox registry will be registered to Microsoft Corporation or one of its wholly owned subsidiaries.

Checks will be performed to ensure that each applied-for domain name satisfies the .xbox Naming Conventions. Each .xbox domain name must:

• not be a prohibited label;

• be at least 3 characters and no more than 63 characters long;

• not contain a hyphen on the 3rd and 4th position (tagged domains);

• contain only letters (a-z), numbers (0-9) and hyphens or a combination of these;

• start and end with an alphanumeric character, not a hyphen;

• not match any character strings reserved by ICANN; and

• not match any protected country or territory name identified in the internationally recognized lists set forth in Specification 5 to the New gTLD Agreement, unless Microsoft reaches agreement regarding release of such names with the applicable government or pursuant to a proposal reviewed by the ICANN Governmental Advisory Committee and approved by ICANN.

The .xbox registry may support Internationalized domain names (IDN) at the second level.

.xbox domain names must be used solely for purposes that, in Microsoft’s sole discretion and judgment, enhance its strategic or commercial interests. .xbox domains shall not be used to knowingly infringe, violate, or misappropriate the intellectual property rights of any third party.

Registrants may not assign any rights in .xbox domains to any third party.

Microsoft will require that the WHOIS data for all .xbox domains is accurate and complete.

Will your proposed gTLD impose any measures for protecting the privacy of confidential information of registrants or users?

Microsoft is committed to protecting the privacy of employee and customer data.

The .xbox registry will be operated by the Microsoft Corporation, a corporation organized under the laws of the State of Washington; data will be processed in accordance with applicable data protection requirements. We intend to comply with the Personal Data obligations set forth in Section 2.10 of the Registry Agreement.

Describe whether and in what ways outreach and communications will help to achieve your projected benefits?

We anticipate engaging in the types and scope of outreach and communications appropriate to the operation of a .brand registry in which the brand owner and its wholly owned subsidiaries are the registrants of all second-level domain names.

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