gTLD	Full Legal Name	E-mail suffix	Detail
.NGO	Public Interest Registry	pir.org	View

PIR’s goal is to provide the NGO Community an exclusive and immediately recognized home on the Internet. To achieve this goal and ensure that .NGO domain names are allocated in a manner that serves the NGO Community, PIR has developed a set of .NGO registration restriction policies and corresponding compliance and enforcement mechanisms.

The policies are built to match the need of the NGO Community based on feedback from NGO Community members; based on experience from the .ORG gTLD management since 2003; and generally established to ensure a higher security level for .NGO domain names than what currently is considered standard global requirements for gTLDs today.

.NGO Registration Policies
The registration policies in support of the NGO Community goals are described in the following summary and are detailed later in this section.
• Registrant Eligibility Requirements – all registrants must demonstrate affiliation through NGO membership organizations or through evidence of NGO status. PIR will work with membership organization, the NGO Community Advisory Council, and other members of the NGO Community to validate their eligibility.
• Name Selection Policy – ensures that only NGO Community relevant domain names are registered.
• Reserved Name Policy – names⁄types of domain names will initially be reserved from registration under .NGO.
• Registry Name Policy – names⁄types of domain names will be held from general availability, these will be used in support of the registry.
• Content and Use Restriction Policy – ensures that usage of the .NGO domain name corresponds with NGO Community activities.
• Compliance Functions – ensures ongoing compliance of the Registrant Eligibility Requirements, and the Content and Use Restriction Policy listed below.

The following policies support of the NGO Community goals and are detailed in subsequent Evaluation Questions of the application dedicated to such policies, as noted below.
• Abuse Prevention and Mitigation – includes the Anti-Abuse Policy which addresses the identification and prompt action taken on malicious use of domain names, and the Restriction Dispute Resolution Policy (RDRP) which ensures that disputes concerning any of the .NGO Registration Policies can be solved in an appropriate manner. Detailed descriptions of both policies can be found in response to Evaluation Question #28.
• Rights Protection Mechanisms – protects intellectual property holders under the Trademark Clearinghouse, Uniform Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP), Uniform Rapid Suspension (URS), Registry Restrictions Dispute Resolution Procedures (RRDRP),Post-Delegation Dispute Resolution Policy (PDDRP), in addition to the Sunrise services and policies that can be found in response to Evaluation Question #29.

PIR will review all policies and processes on an annual basis with involvement from the PIR’s NGO Community Advisory Council and present the results to the NGO Community, allowing them to provide feedback.

Specific Policy Details

Registrant Eligibility Requirements: The .NGO domain registrations are open to NGO Community members. All registrants must demonstrate affiliation through NGO membership organizations or through evidence of NGO status. PIR will work with NGO membership organizations, the NGO Community Advisory Council, and other members of the NGO Community to validate their eligibility.

In consultation with PIR’s NGO Community Advisory Council PIR is reviewing potential NGO membership organizations who can verify the NGO status of registrants. NGO membership organizations include the following, and will expand over time:
• Global organizations: International associations and⁄or classification-based associations.
• Regional organizations: Associations across broad geographic areas, potentially including multiple countries or jurisdictions.
• Local organizations: Associations or groups that provide support and memberships at a country or local level.

During the registration process, the registrant will be asked to verify their eligibility and to demonstrate affiliation with a NGO member organization. Once the initial certification in step 1 of the verification process is confirmed, the domain is successfully created. If the .NGO registrant fails to provide any additional required information through step 2 of the verification process, the domain will be deleted and released back into the pool of available domains.

Content and Use Restriction Policy: Abusive use of the .NGO domain names will not be tolerated by PIR. The following use and content limitations apply:
• Overall the NGO domain name must be for a bona fide NGO use, as defined in the Restrictions Dispute Resolution in response to Evaluation Question #28.
• Websites must be developed with the intent to promote the corresponding .NGO registrant’s existing mission and activities, and not solely for commercialized or for-profit marketing usage.
• Use of the registered domain name to engage in activities inconsistent with the mission of a NGO is not allowed.
• Any illegal or fraudulent usage of the .NGO domain name is not allowed, including but not limited to phishing and pharming attacks, distribution of malware, and distribution of adult content.
• Registration and use of a domain name in violation of Rights Protection Mechanisms is not allowed.

Violations of any of the .NGO Registration Policies may be grounds for loss of registration, pursuant to the enforcement mechanism discussed below (with an appeal procedure).

Compliance Functions: While disputes will be managed directly by resolution providers, PIR will conduct random compliance audits across all the .NGO Registration Policies. Periodically PIRʹs compliance staff will audit a sample of .NGO registrations to verify claims to membership in a listed organization, name policy adherence, and compliance with the name and use policy.

If a registrant is found to not be in compliance the registrant will be notified that the domain will be placed on registry lock and that if the compliance issue is not cured the domain will be terminated.

As part of the compliance function PIR will also utilize its existing expertise, obtained through its management of .ORG, to monitor and take action on any abusive behavior taken place with .NGO domain names.

Name Selection Policy: The .NGO registrant must fulfill certain name policy criteria. PIR will employ the following restrictions concerning the names that eligible .NGO registrants can register. As such a .NGO registrant cannot register any name they wish but is limited by the following restrictions. A .NGO registered domain name may be:
1) the name of (entire or portion of) the NGO, e.g. its “doing business as” name,
2) an acronym representing the NGO,
3) a name that recognizes or generally describes the NGO, or
4) a name related to the mission or activities of the NGO.

Reserved Name Policy: The following names⁄types of domain names will initially be reserved from registration:
• All single- and two-character second-level domain names;
• Domains of an inappropriate nature, e.g., adult-related terminology, pursuant to a list defined by PIR and its NGO Community Advisory Council;
• Names provided by ICANN as required reserved names;
• A list of generic names defined by PIR and its NGO Community Advisory Council based on the overall criteria that the names represent the NGO Community in a general manner. Such names will be released in a specific RFP process ensuring that the names will benefit the NGO Community.

Registry Name Policy: The following names⁄types of domain names will be held from general availability; they will be used in support of the registry.
• Names to support registry operations, e.g., directory.ngo;
• Names to support PIR’s NGO Community Advisory Council.

Compliance and Enforcement Mechanisms
PIR will take both proactive and reactive measures to enforce the policies of the gTLD. Proactive measures are taken at the time of registration by requiring .NGO registrants to meet the .NGO Registration Policies and to agree to all policies and procedures of the gTLD. Reactive measures are addressed via our audit process and through our defined dispute resolution processes.

A violation of the .NGO Registration Policies will be enforced on a case-by-case, fact specific basis under the processes set forth below:
1. Any allegation that a domain name is not used primarily for NGO purposes shall be enforced under the provisions of the Restrictions Dispute Resolution Policy (ʺRDRPʺ) as described in Evaluation Question #28. The RDRP will be included as an appendix to the Registry Agreement. An appeal procedure is included in the RDRP.
2. Any alleged violation of the Rights Protection Mechanisms shall be enforced under the provisions contained in each of them.

Disputes resulting from violations of the .NGO Registration Policies will be resolved through the Compliance Functions and the Rights Protection Mechanisms. The Rights Protection Mechanisms (as detailed in Evaluation Question #29) will be made applicable by the ICANN-Accredited Registrarsʹ registration agreements with registrants. Proceedings under the Rights Protection Mechanisms will be conducted in accordance with the policies and procedures that will be included in an appendix to the Registry Agreement. As set forth in the Compliance Functions, the registry operator will review on a random basis, monitor, and verify that any particular domain name is being used primarily for NGO purposes and that a domain is being used in compliance with the Rights Protection Mechanisms processes.

Resource Plans
PIR will devote 2 compliance officers to handle compliance and disputes as they arise, although currently for .ORG this need is rare. Most compliance checks on registration eligibility are expected to be handled in an automated process.

gTLD	Full Legal Name	E-mail suffix	Detail
.hotel	HOTEL Top-Level-Domain S.a.r.l	dothotel.info	View

* Eligibility *

.hotel second-level domain names are initially restricted to the narrow category of hotels and their organizations (Registrants) as defined by ISO 18513. Therefore the registration of .hotel domains shall be exclusively limited to registrants from a logical alliance of the hotel industry including:

1. Individual Hotels
2. Hotel Chains
3. Hotel Marketing organizations representing members from 1. and⁄or 2.
4. International, national and local Associations representing Hotels and Hotel Associations representing members from 1. and⁄or 2.
5. Other Organizations representing Hotels, Hotel Owners and other solely Hotel related organizations representing on members form 1. and⁄or 2.

It is the role of the .hotel Registry to assure and control the registrant’s eligibility to register a domain name to guarantee the community aspect and integrity of the .hotel name space and to avoid disputes. The .hotel Registry anticipates that disputes over the registrant’s eligibility will be minimal within the hotel community. Nevertheless it has put in place an adequate procedure to assist the hotel community’s registrants in dealing with denials of registrant’s eligibility in a way that supports community needs and values. The .hotel Registry’s informal denial procedures will not super-cede any formal dispute procedures.

Any domain name registered according to the eligibility criteria described above is subject to a subsequent registrant eligibility verification process which will start immediately after the registration process starts. Registrant eligibility verification will occur after domain name registration but before the registered domain name can be used for web services and protocols like email, website, and FTP. This is to avoid mass fraudulent domain name registrations.

Registrant data supplied for registrant eligibility verification purposes will be held and used by the Registry for eligibility verification purposes only, based on European data protection laws. Registrant eligibility verification requires a review by an applicable organization or by the Registry (reviewer).

The registrant eligibility verification process starts with the Registry evaluation each domain registration for eligibility. For evaluation purposes industry databases will be used, like hotel association databases or other electronically available databases. Within 48 hours after registration started, the registry will provide the evaluation result to the registrar.
In case the reviewer will review the registered domain name and can not validate the domain name he may require further material supporting the registrant’s eligibility. Once reviewed the reviewer will confirm or deny the registration. Confirmation will be conveyed to the registrar by email. In the case of denial of the registrant’s domain name registration is taken-down in the Registry’s discretion. A denial of registrant’s eligibility will be recorded against the registrant’s domain name and they will not be entitled to register a domain name until their circumstances have changed such that their registrant eligibility is confirmed in the required manner.

Registrant eligibility verification reviews may occur following domain name registration and where a registrant is found to be ineligible subsequent to registration of a domain name(s), and such ineligibility is due to mistake or error on the part of the registrant, their registration fee may be refunded.

The registry confirms registrant’s eligibility for up to one year and the registrant may be reviewed annually or at any other time by the Registry to ensure that registrant’s eligibility data have not changed in the prior period and that they continue to be eligible. If any change has occurred the registrant at any time may re-submit their registrant’s eligibility data and it may be reviewed and confirmed as for initial registrant eligibility verification.

The registrant’s eligibility is the central requirement to hold a .hotel domain name. It is therefore necessary that registrants maintain their eligibility throughout the term of the registration, including renewal. If the registrant ceases to be a member of the hotel community as defined by current policies and practices of the Registry, then the registrant must give notice of such change within 20 days of ceasing to be eligible to the registrar.

In the event that the registrant does not notify the Registrar of a change of status, the registrar will report to the registry and the registry may take-down all registrations held by the registrant immediately upon becoming informed of the change of status. The Registry may require further information from the registrant to determine registrant’s eligibility.

In addition to the obligation on the registrant to notify the Registrar of any change of its status, each hotel community that is assisting the Registry in the registrant eligibility verification process may be required to solicit and receive an update of all registrant eligibility verification data from each registrant. Any registrant eligibility verification organization shall provide the Registry with all such information and shall confirm to the Registry that the registrant continues to be eligible to hold the domain name it has registered. In the event that the registrant is no longer entitled to hold the domain name, the Registry shall inform the registrar and the registrar the registrant of that determination and the registrant will be given 20 days to provide updated and correct data that confirms its eligibility. Where such information is not provided, or, if provided, does not support the registrant’s eligibility, the Registry will so inform the registrant and provide the registrant with a right to request a review of the denial as if it had been an initial registration. At the time when such review period has ended and the registrant remains ineligible, the Registry shall take-down the domain name and it has to be returned to the list of available domain names.

The Registry’s rights to require notice of a change of status, to take-down a domain name unilaterally and to require information is contained in the registrant agreement of the registrar by reference to these policies.


* Types of names *

The Registry will set aside a list of domain names that will be reserved for the 325 major hotel industry brands including sub-brands. Cut-off date for this list is September 2011. These names can be released by the Registry upon request of the brand concerned and registered by eligible community member brand.


* Domain Names available for registration *

No Limitation - Any applicant that is eligible will be entitled to register any domain name that is not reserved or registered at the time of their registration submission through an ICANN accredited registrar.

No Limitation in Number - Registrants are not limited in the number of domain names they may register.

Registrant Representations - The registration application and registrant agreement will contain positive representations from the registrant that they are entitled to the domain name(s) they are or have registered. Breach of such representation will allow the Registry to take-down ineligible domain names at any time.


* Content and Use Restrictions *

The Registry has in its discretion developed restrictions on the content and use of any domain name. Such restrictions apply to any domain name registration that occurs after such restrictions come into effect.

Each domain name must, within one year following the date of registration, and thereafter throughout the term of the domain name registration, be used as the domain name for a website displaying hotel community related content relevant to the domain name, or in such other manner (such as email) that the Registry may approve after review. Domain names used as contemplated above may resolve directly to the relevant website or be forwarded or redirected to another domain name displaying hotel content relevant to the domain name.

Restrictions may include, but are not limited to, a requirement to develop a website that uses the registered domain name, to ensure that each registered domain name resolves to a working website, or to ensure that each website using a registered domain name, or redirected from a registered domain name presents content related to the registered .hotel domain name.

The .hotel Registry will, from time to time in its sole discretion or upon evidence or advice, but at least once a year, conduct continuing or recurring audits of domain names registered to ensure continued compliance with these requirements. Failure to comply will result in a notice providing 20-days to comply. Non-compliance following such a notice period may result in take-down of the relevant domain name, at the discretion of the Registry.


* Enforcement and dispute policy *


The registry will set-up a process for any questions and challenges that may arise from registrations. Complainants will be provided a single point of contact via the registry’s website to submit any questions and complaints regarding alleged abuse. The registry will randomly check 2% of registered domains to verify they have content. The registry also follows the standard dispute policies as defined in Q 28 and Q 39.