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

Prototypical answer:

BENEFITS OF THE TLD

Globalisation has created a high demand for translation services, but the connection between skilled translator and client has weakened, making consumers vulnerable to lower quality, lower skill translation services. This puts consumers at risk of utilising documents that do not convey the message they intended. It also puts the profession’s reputation at risk of being tarnished by inferior services and service providers. The .translations TLD will bring clear benefits over the current situation by functioning as a dedicated, easily located online source of trustworthy information about professional translation services and service providers.

BENEFICIARIES OF THE TLD

There are three primary beneficiaries of the TLD:

1. Internet users. The .translations TLD will make available to Internet users information about the translation profession and highly skilled translators. It will promote awareness of the high value-added intellectual service offered by professional translators and provide insights for those interested in pursuing translation as a career. Because this information is provided by the Translations company, Internet users will feel confident about the quality of the information they are able to access through .translations websites.

2. Professional translators. The .translations TLD will provide information that promotes the value of professional translation services. This information will serve to reinforce the key attributes of the profession and combat the risk of loss of reputation by inferior services and service providers. The .translations TLD will also enable communication and collaboration between professional translators through, for example, an online forum and email address hosting.

3. The Translations company. The .translations TLD will allow the Translations company to streamline its online presence, which is currently scattered across multiple TLDs (translations.fr, translations.tm.fr, translations.eu and translationsforum.net). The .translations TLD will provide a single, cohesive, consistent online platform from which to promote the company and communicate its mission of providing high skill, high quality translation services. The Translations company, as the sole registrant, will have complete control over what registrations are made in the TLD and how these are used. This control guarantees that all registrations are consistent with the mission and purpose of the TLD.

GOALS OF THE TLD

The goals of the .translations TLD are:

1 REPUTATION: BE AN AUTHORITATIVE SOURCE OF INFORMATION

The primary goal of the TLD is to develop the reputation of being a reliable and authoritative source of information concerning all aspects of professional translation.

Domain name registrations in the .translations TLD will be utilised to offer relevant information to: consumers of translation services, professional translators, students, job seekers, translation educators, and staff and partners of the Translations company. Additionally, the online forum currently provided by the Translations company on its website will be migrated to and more easily located in the .translations TLD. This forum will enable translators to share ideas and work collaboratively, thus building the overall knowledge base. Because the TLD will be operated and exclusively controlled by the Translations company, it will leverage the company’s reputation within the profession for high quality, service and skill.

Visit metrics will be utilised to measure the volume of traffic on .translations sites. Surveys will also be conducted to evaluate a site user’s experience and assessment of the authority, suitability and utility of the information that .translations sites convey. Applying these measurement methods, this goal can be considered achieved when, for example, growth in traffic volume is experienced or when a majority of survey responses in a reporting cycle disclose a positive experience in utilising a .translations site.

The benefit to Internet users of achieving this goal is that they will be able to access within a single, dedicated online space a wealth of translation-related information that is legitimate, authoritative and supported by the high reputation of the Translations company. The benefit to professional translators of achieving this goal is the increased availability of relevant, reliable information for learning and enhancing skills. The benefit to the Translations company of the .translations TLD developing an authoritative reputation is the strength that this will add to the Translations brand and the furtherance of the company’s mission in educating the public.

2 PROMOTE THE TRANSLATION PROFESSION

Another goal of the TLD is to promote the translation profession as a culturally and commercially valuable intellectual activity with the skilled translator at its core.

It is vital that those seeking translation services and related information have access to information that is reliable and of a high standard and quality. This need has arisen particularly as a result of the proliferation of low quality translation services offered through domain names in existing TLDs. The result is a deficient translation that fails to convey the message intended by its author. Every such outcome impacts negatively upon the reputation of the profession.

To combat this, all information provided on .translations sites will emphasise the role and benefits of translation services provided by highly skilled professional translators. Information about relevant professional organisations and certification bodies will facilitate consumer access to highly skilled translation service providers. To facilitate communication within the profession, email hosting will be offered to members of the Translations company’s network of translators (for example, adam.smith@network.translations).

Achievement of this goal can be measured by, for example:

– An increased level of activity on the translator forum as compared to current levels on the Translations company’s existing web sites.

– Industry statistics demonstrating growth in, for example, the use of professional translation services, growth in membership in relevant professional organisations or the number of certified professional translators.

– An increase in the level of @domain.translations email activity over time as awareness of the .translations TLD increases.

The benefit of achieving this goal is that the reputation and core values of the translation profession and the availability of professional translation services will be preserved and maintained.

The benefit to Internet users of achieving this goal is the increased knowledge of and accessibility to professional translators. The benefits to professional translators of achieving this goal are ease of communication with other members of the profession and increased demand for their services. The Translations company will likewise benefit from increased demand, as well as from the furtherance of its mission to educate the public and preserve the values of the profession.

3 SPECIALTY

Another key goal of the TLD is to provide a cohesive, easily identified, dedicated online space for the Translations company.

The .translations TLD will be utilised to promote the Translations company and showcase its sector-specific activities in a logical, coherent and locatable manner.

The benefit to Internet users of achieving this goal is the availability of information about Translations company in a centralised, easily located place. The benefit to professional translators of achieving this goal is ease of communication with Translations company. The benefit to the Translations company of having a dedicated online space is control, which guarantees domain name availability and reduces the risk of infringement or dilution of the Translations trademark as well as infringement of others’ trademarks.

The relationship between these goals and mission⁄purpose of the .translations TLD is so close that the achievement of the goals described above will be a measure of the success of the .translations TLD and its having achieved its mission⁄purpose.

DIFFERENTIATION

Anticipated contribution to the current space

There are two key differences between the .translations TLD and existing TLDs:

1 Innovation through Single Registrant⁄Single User (SRSU) Model

Domain names in the .translations TLD will not be sold nor provided to external parties. The Translations company will, therefore, seek an exemption to Article 1(b) of the Registry Operator Code of Conduct (Specification 9) to enable it to register domain names exclusively in its own right. The single registrant⁄single user-nature of this TLD will bring added benefits to the DNS in terms of preventing abuse and infringement and increasing reliability and trust. Due to its clear link with the Translations company, which has a long-standing high reputation in the translation profession, the “translations” string clearly communicates the reliability, legitimacy and high quality of the information that will be accessible through the .translations TLD. Visitors will be assured that the information obtained on .translations sites is authoritative, legitimate and trustworthy.

2 Competition⁄meeting unmet needs

The .translations TLD will be dedicated to providing information about the translation profession. No such single source of authoritative information currently exists in the DNS.

The .translations TLD will offer insights into different aspects of the translation profession through themed informational spaces separated into general and professional arenas. For example, students would be able to view educational multimedia about the history of translation, its development through the ages, current trends and what to expect in the future, these learning materials of course being accessible in numerous languages. Professionals with translation needs will be able to access a themed space that offers information about project management, selection of partners, cost and quote management, etc. A wide range of information will also be made available to professional translators, including articles, newsletters, reviews, directories, forums, useful links, etc.

Multiple domain name registrations across existing TLDs do not meet this need currently. By contrast, the string “translations” will clearly and unambiguously identify the subject matter of information that will be accessible and facilitate the provision of a broad range of relevant information.

The .translations TLD will in turn promote more competition on the Internet and thus greater levels of services to the translation profession, Translations company clients, and Internet users in general.

These two principal points of distinction will promote diversity within the DNS and serve beneficiaries who are not currently served by existing TLDs.

REGISTRATION POLICIES IN SUPPORT OF THE TLD

Eligibility to register domain names in the .translations TLD will be restricted to specifically authorised employees of Translations in accordance with the internal processes described in response to Question 28. All domain name registrations, which will be made through an ICANN-accredited registrar, will be owned and controlled by Translations.

Apart from reservations required by ICANNʹs Registry Agreement, no express restrictions will be imposed on domain names available to be registered. Domain names will be registered and utilised to showcase the various sectors of the profession (for example, finance.translations, medical.translations, legal.translations) and promote the Translations companyʹs activities in these fields. Domain names relevant to translation-related activities and services will also be registered (for example, careers.translations and directory.translations). Other forms of names could also be utilised provided they are consistent with the mission⁄purpose of this TLD, as described above. While internal processes will be implemented to prevent trademark infringement, the generic nature of envisaged registrations will serve to minimize this risk.
All content of domain names in the .translations TLD will be under the direct control of Translations. The Translations company will periodically audit the use of .translations domain names to ensure consistency with the mission⁄purpose of the TLD.

PROTECTION OF PRIVACY AND CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

All domain name registrations will be registered to and maintained by the Translations company. No measures need to be taken to protect the privacy or confidential information of registrants, because no information of a private nature will be collected during the registration process.

The Translations company will not distribute or transfer control or use of any registrations in the TLD to any third party that is not an Affiliate (as defined in Article 2.9(c) of the Registry Agreement). Having thus restricted the use of registrations, no measures are required to protect the privacy or confidential information of users of domain name registrations in the .translations TLD.

OUTREACH AND COMMUNICATION ACTIVITIES

Marketing and outreach activities in relation to the .translations TLD will be conducted both internally and externally. An internal awareness campaign will be conducted within the Translations company to educate staff about the TLD’s registration policy, internal registration procedures and company strategy. An external outreach campaign will be conducted by Translations company internal staff and will involve the following:

1 Direct marketing to Translations company clients through regular means of correspondence (for example, printed material included in invoices and email using a new .translations email address).

2 Direct marketing to the translation profession through the Translations company’s external translator network.

3 Informing prospective clients and other internet users by integrating the .translations TLD into the Translations company’s regular marketing activities.

Leveraging existing relationships and marketing resources will efficiently generate awareness of this unique online space dedicated to information about the translation profession and Translations company. Organic growth of awareness is expected over time given the cohesive nature of the profession and the extent of Translations company’s reputation and links within the profession.

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