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

Prototypical answer:

i. The primary goal & mission of a global .book registry is to broaden and facilitate the connection between readers and content, authors, publishers, book sellers, and book communities (such as libraries) worldwide, significantly enhancing the discovery books & e-books.

Bowker will champion the .book registry within the global book publishing industry through proactive and consistent communication to publishers, authors, book sellers, libraries of the benefits of the registry to connect readers with content through a .book domain.

Through it’s participation on the International ISBN Board, Bowker will develop and foster relationships with national ISBN agencies to communicate and champion the vision and goals of the .book registry.

Bowker’s reputation in the global book publishing industry is as a trusted, independent partner & source of information and tools that support book discovery, sales, and business intelligence. As registry operator for the .book registry, we remain a trusted and independent partner within the industry. Our business does not involve book creation and we do not sell books. An independent, neutral and trusted partner status in the industry are vital to the successful adoption and long-term success of the registry.

In addition, Bowker has partnered with Afilias, who will provide full back-end registry services to support a robust and reputable registry. Bowker will only partner with ICANN-approved global registrars that demonstrate professionalism, business integrity, and services levels that positively reflect Bowker’s reputation in the industry. Registrars and back-end registry service provider, Afilias, will be required to adhere to service-level agreements that ensure consistent levels of up-time, responsiveness and performance.

Bowker is aware of the Software & Information Industry Association’s (SIIA) statement promulgating enhanced safeguards to reduce the potential risks of online theft, infringement and other fraud that may arise with the issuance of domains related to books, music, movies, videogames and other creative works. Bowker will work with all relevant parties and registrars on acceptable usage policies to ensure that a domain name will only be used for legitimate activities, and not to facilitate piracy or counterfeiting. In addition, Bowker will provide prompt and accessible mechanism for rights holder complaints. See our comprehensive response to question 28 on Abuse Prevention & Mitigation.


ii. A .book TLD provides content creators choices for targeted domain names allowing for differentiation and focused searching. Authors, publishers, book sellers, and the like, have greater opportunity to own specific book-related domain strings, that are highly specialized and targeted, allowing readers greater opportunity to find content & titles and to trust that the content therein will be related to books, book content, authors, publishers, and book sellers.

Ideally, publishers, authors, booksellers, etc. who register .book domains will provide robust content for improved discovery on the web, as well as tools which will allow readers to connect with the author, and to download and⁄or purchase the content either through digital devices or through physical delivery of content. A .book domain could be a powerful social web & connection tool, as well as a commerce-enabled marketing & sales channel.

A .book TLD provides needed competition through choice for book authors, publishers, book sellers, and book-lovers, giving greater flexibility and targeting over existing TLDs.

iii. Broad communication of availability, along with laser-focus on customer service and user experience are our goals for the .book registry.

Bowker will champion the .book registry within the global book publishing industry through proactive and consistent communication to publishers, authors, book sellers, libraries of the benefits of the registry to connect readers with content through a .book domain. Over it’s140 year history, Bowker has developed and enhanced a communication framework and pipeline for its relationships with hundreds of thousands of publishers, authors, booksellers, libraries, and the book community. Bowker will leverage that framework to develop a methodology for communication to these entities on the value and benefits of the registry. Since this framework already exists, it allows Bowker to execute broad marketing and communication plans with significantly less marketing costs than a start-up business or business not in the book industry would require. As example, for potential domain registrants introduced to the offering through Bowker web properties (ISBN agency for example), Bowker will provide simple access points from its web properties to authorized registrars for purchase and⁄or renewal of .book domains.

Through it’s membership on the board of the International ISBN Agency as well as its strong relations in the industry, Bowker will promote the .book registry to other national ISBN agencies and related book industry constituency. In addition, Bowker has relationships with over 10,000 booksellers through it’s commerce solutions, and over 15,000 libraries who leverage Bowker supplied book metadata. Bowker will leverage our existing framework to develop simple communication streams within this network to communicate the value and availability of the registry.

Future services to registrars & .book domain owners could include web services to streamline content syndication from Bowker to individual book websites.

To ensure a consistent and reliability user experience, Bowker will only partner with ICANN-approved global registrars that demonstrate professionalism, business integrity, and services levels that positively reflect Bowker’s trusted reputation in the industry.

Registrars, data escrow provider Iron Mountain, and back-end registry service provider, Afilias, will be required to adhere to service-level agreements that meet or exceed ICANN’s high-level of standards for up-time, responsiveness, performance, and security thereby enhancing user-experience.

It is important to note that although our goal of the registry is to facilitate book discovery, the registration of a .book domain will not be limited to existing publishers, authors, book sellers, and content-creators. Bowker will partner with ICANN-approved registrars who may offer .book domains through their services on a first come⁄first serve basis post sunrise.


iv. Registration Policies
The registry will operate on a subscription-based revenue model.

To ensure Bowker’s consistent reputation for neutrality and trustworthiness in the global book publishing industry, we will champion and plan to proactively and consistently communicate to all known and active book publishers within our Publisher Authority Database, book authors within our author authorities, book sellers within our network and other sources, global industry associations (such as BISG, BIC, Authors Guild, etc.), global ISBN agencies and their members, and library communities the availability and benefits of the .book registry.

Over it’s 140 year history, Bowker developed and enhanced a communication framework and pipeline for its relationships with hundreds of thousands publishers, authors, booksellers, and libraries. Bowker will leverage that framework to develop a methodology for communication to entities within it’s Publisher Authority Database, Bowker Books In Print database, Bowker PubEasy & PubNet book seller⁄retailer database, as well as additional trusted & comprehensive global sources to ensure that as many publishers, authors, book sellers, and libraries have knowledge of and understand the benefits of the registry for existing titles (physical or digital), authors, publishing houses, and book sellers.

Example1: Upon submission of new titles, Bowker will communicate to the publisher⁄author the opportunity to register a string associated with or similar to their titles.

New “Example Book Title”, ISBN 1234567891234, written by Sample Author Name, will be published in July 2012 by ABC Publishing House, LLC is considered an “active” title, either physical or digital, (as opposed to “out of print”) within the Bowker database.

Bowkerʹs robust communication pipeline will notify ABC Publishing of the potential availability of the following .book URLs:

www.examplebooktitle.book
www.sampleauthorname.book
www.abcpublishinghouse.book
www.1234567891234.book
or similar

By proactively communicating to known global publishers & authors with active and forthcoming titles in the supply chain, we will increase the likelihood of their knowledge of and purchase of associated .book domains.

Example2: Bowker will identify all active book sellers from within the Bowker database and other trusted global sources as needed and plans to communicate to the book seller the opportunity to register a string associated with or similar to book seller.

“Example Book Store” in AnyTown, Province, Country is considered an ‘active’ book seller within the Bowker database or other information sources.

Bowker robust communication pipeline may notify Example Book Store of the potential availability and opportunity to purchase the following potential .book URLs:

www.ExampleBookStore.book
www.〈insert town〉bookstore.book
or similar

By proactively communicating to known global book sellers, we will increase their knowledge of the .book registry and the likelihood of their purchase of associated .book domains.

In addition, although our application focuses on the opportunity for the .book registry within the publishing, author, bookseller, and library industries globally, the .book registry provides additional avenues for business growth, including author fan base social communities, genre specific connection points, local library online hubs, etc.

It is important to note that although our goal of the registry is to facilitate book discovery, the registration of a .book domain will not be limited to existing publishers, authors, book sellers, and content-creators. Bowker will partner with ICANN-approved registrars who may offer .book domains through their services on a first come⁄first serve basis post sunrise.


Auction registration policies
Bowker will pull a specified number of .book domains out of the general registry for auction. Auction domains will be generic in nature, typically focused on book genres, and will be auctioned leveraging a full service provider.
Examples could include:

www.romance.book, www.mystery.book, www.misterio.book,
www.bookseller.book, www.bookstore.book
www.bible.book, www.biblia.book, www.bibbia.book, www.qur’an.book
or similar.

Available .book domains within the ‘For Auction’ pool will be reviewed quarterly and may or may not be added back to the general ‘for registry’ population if not purchased in initial auction.

Sunrise Registration Policies
Bowker will offer a robust Sunrise period prior to general registry operations to support IP protection program for trademark & service mark holders. Bowker, with back-end registry provider Afilias, will implement a robust Sunrise program, utilizing the Trademark Clearinghouse, the services of one of ICANN’s approved dispute resolution providers, a trademark validation agent, and draw upon sunrise policies and rules used successfully in previous gTLD launches. Bowkerʹs existing database of 22 million titles as well as authors, contributors, publishers, booksellers, etc. provides significant insight in to potential trademark and service mark holdersin this space, allowing for robust communication of Sunrise to publishers, authors, and other rights holders. For comprehensive response regarding sunrise & right protection policies, see response to question 29.

Registrar Partnerships
Bowker will only partner with ICANN-approved global registrars that demonstrate professionalism, business integrity, and service levels that positively reflect Bowker’s reputation in the industry. Registrars and back-end registry service provider, Afilias, will be required to adhere to service-level agreements that are commensurate with consistent levels of up-time, responsiveness and performance thereby enhancing the user-experience.

Registrars will have the ability to accept registrations for any available .book string within the freely-available pool of domains on first come⁄first serve basis. (e.g. excluding domains pulled for ‘auction’, those indicated as trademark or service marks through the IP Clearinghouse, and those registered through Sunrise).

For more information on registration lifecycle refer to response Question 27.

iv. Protection of Private & Confidential Information of Registrants

Data Collection and Use Policy
As per the New gTLD Registry Agreement, we will make domain contact data (and other fields) freely and publicly available via a Web-based WHOIS server. This default set of fields includes the mandatory publication of registrant data. Our Registry-Registrar Agreement will require that registrants consent to this publication.

We shall notify each of our registrars regarding the purposes for which data about any identified or identifiable natural person (“Personal Data”) submitted to the Registry Operator by such registrar is collected and used, and the intended recipients (or categories of recipients) of such Personal Data (the data in question is essentially the registrant and contact data required to be published in the WHOIS). We will require each registrar to obtain the consent of each registrant in the TLD for the collection and use of such Personal Data. The policies will be posted publicly on our TLD web site. As the registry operator, we shall not use or authorize the use of Personal Data in any way that is incompatible with the notice provided to registrars.

Our privacy and data use policies are as follows:
- As registry operator, we do not plan on selling bulk WHOIS data. We will not sell contact data in any way. We will not allow, enable, or otherwise support the transmission by e-mail, telephone, or facsimile of mass unsolicited, commercial advertising or solicitations.
- We may use registration data in the aggregate for marketing purposes.
- DNS query data will never be sold in a way that is personally identifiable.
- We may from time to time use the demographic data collected for statistical analysis, provided that this analysis will not disclose individual Personal Data and provided that such use is compatible with the notice provided to registrars regarding the purpose and procedures for such use.

As the registry operator we shall take significant steps to protect Personal Data collected from registrars from loss, misuse, unauthorized disclosure, alteration, or destruction. In our responses to Question 30 (“Security Policy”) and Question 38 (“Escrow”) we detail the security policies and procedures we will use to protect the registry system and the data contained therefrom from unauthorized access and loss.

Please see our response to Question 26 (“WHOIS”) regarding “searchable WHOIS” and rate-limiting. That section contains details about how we will limit the mining of WHOIS data by spammers and other parties who abuse access to the WHOIS.
In order acquire and maintain accreditation for our TLD, we will require registrars to adhere to certain information technology policies designed to help protect registrant data. These will include standards for access to the registry system and password management protocols. Our response to Question 30, “Security Policy” provides details of implementation.

We will allow the use of proxy and privacy services, which can protect the personal data of registrants from spammers and other parties that mine zone files and WHOIS data. We are aware that there are parties who may use privacy services to protect their free speech rights, or to avoid religious or political persecution.

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