18(a) Describe the mission/purpose of your proposed gTLD

Prototypical answer:

Interlink has received the endorsement of the Osaka Prefectural Government for its application to ICANN to operate and manage the “.osaka” top-level domain (TLD). In its proposal to the government authority, Interlink made a sufficiently strong case suggesting that the registry operator for the TLD must offer the highest standards in technical and operational capabilities, and that it is imperative that the operator act as a steward on behalf of the local Internet community to promote the public interest.

Interlink strongly believes that a TLD for Osaka will play an important function in expanding the Internet, fostering communications, improving commerce, and growing the online communities of Osaka. Furthermore, Interlink is confident that its proposed structure, policies, technical solution, and operational capabilities will enable “.osaka” to become a viable geographic TLD that serves the needs of the Osaka community.

Over the past few years Interlink has held several discussions with officials from the Osaka Prefectural Government about the potential “.osaka” presents to the Osaka community. In preparation to operate the “.osaka” TLD, Interlink has received a letter of endorsement from the relevant government authority and has received several of letters of support from key organizations within the Osaka community. Interlink has established an office in Osaka and joined several community organizations in order to better serve the Osaka community. (Letters of support can be found as an attachment to Question 20).

The creation of the “.osaka” namespace is anticipated to facilitate numerous opportunities for development of new business models and methods for engagement among local online communities, individual users, businesses, organizations, and government bodies. The overall aim of “.osaka” is to provide a solid and secure platform for the Osaka community that inspires an environment where the Osaka brand can thrive. Interlink believes the following points are key factors in successfully achieving its mission.

　1. Operating a Safe, Stable, and Secure TLD for the Osaka Community
　2. Seek Convergence Among Geographic TLDs
　3. Create a Fair and Competitive Market


1. Operate a Safe, Stable TLD for the Osaka Community.

Interlink has closely evaluated existing policies in gTLDs and ccTLDs to determine the success factors in running a safe, stable, and highly secure TLD. In its analysis Interlink drew upon a report compiled by McAfee. The report, Mapping the Mal Web in 2010, shows that Internet criminals choose to register domain names in a TLD based on registration fees, registration regulations, and the overall ease of registration. This makes generic top-level domains and non-regulated, inexpensive country-code top-level domains (ccTLDs) prime targets for cyber criminals. (The full report can be located at the following URL: http:⁄⁄www.mcafee.com⁄cf⁄about⁄news⁄2010⁄q4⁄20101026-02.aspx).

Both .JP and .CAT were rated as the safest TLDs in the world. According to JPRS, the .JP ccTLD manager, this is due to its strict eligibility requirements. In addition, Interlink believes that .JPs higher price point, compared with other ccTLDs, is another factor that deters abusive registrations.

During its analysis, Interlink found that proper implementation of registry policies is also a key factor in enabling a secure, community driven TLD. Interlink believes that the creation of a Nexus Requirement and promoting strict adherence to such a policy will play a key role in maintaining the stability of the operation as well as the utility it provides to the Osaka community. The Nexus Requirement is described in part B.

Finally, another key factor in running a safe TLD deals with the infrastructure the registry system is operated on. Interlink selected Neustar as the technical provider for “.osaka” based on the company’s strong 13-year track record of providing solutions for demanding global businesses as well as its proven ability to run registry operations. With Neustar running the technical infrastructure, the Osaka community can be fully confident that when users access names under “.osaka” they will be accessing a safe, stable, and secure namespace.

The foundation of running a registry operation from a technical aspect should be grounded in long-term industry best practices using proven infrastructure and registry software. The “.osaka” TLD will stand for stability and longevity with a mission to serve the community of Osaka residents, individuals, businesses, organizations, and government bodies who choose to build an identity under the ʺ.osakaʺ brand.


2. Seek Convergence Among Geographic TLDs

Interlink anticipates that many geographic TLDs will be applied for in the first round of new gTLD applications. While the launch of geographic TLDs present many benefits to Internet users, Interlink believes that these benefits can only be fully achieved by overcoming several major challenges in the implementation stage, prior to launch.

In Japan alone, it appears that there will be applications for heavily populated areas such as Tokyo, Osaka, Yokohama, Kyoto, and less populous areas like Okinawa. Interlink believes that in serving the Osaka community it also has a duty to serve the entire Japanese Internet community. Therefore, Interlink proposes that it is necessary to implement important similarities related to the structure of certain key names across geographic TLDs. This is especially true in Japan due to the close proximity of major cities and the propensity for community members to move in and out of certain areas.

Interlink is a strong advocate of the creation of a geographic TLD group within the ICANN community, and believes that such a group will provide invaluable information to help geographic TLD mangers better serve their communities. Interlink’s staff has previously participated in a similar working group in 2008 and 2009 and actively endorsed a petition to start a geographic (city) TLD constituency.

Interlink will continue to seek to achieve convergence with other geographic TLDs in Japan to ensure user confusion is minimized, thereby enabling Japan to have a strong network of geographic TLDs that work in tandem for the benefit of the public.


3. Create a Fair and Competitive Market

Interlink envisions managing the “.osaka” TLD in a manner that strongly serves the public interest of the community. Interlink proposes the implementation of advisory committee to oversee registry operations and ensure that policies and regulations meet the needs of the community. Additional details regarding Osaka’s community structure and the advisory committee can be found in response to Question 20.

Interlink proposes that customers who wish to register a domain name will directly deal with ICANN accredited registrars who have signed an agreement to sell “.osaka” names. Interlink will develop fair and non-discriminatory criteria for qualification to become a registrar. Some qualifications to become a registrar may include, but are not limited to, having a local presence (having an office in Osaka), provision of services in Japanese, and the passing of operational testing.

All registrars will be required execute an agreement with the registry operator and abide by its terms. Additionally, Interlink is committed to fully complying with the Registry Operator Code of Conduct as described in Specification 9 of the New gTLD Registry Agreement.

Similar gTLD applications: (226)