gTLD	Full Legal Name	E-mail suffix	Detail
.mtn	MTN Dubai Limited	mtn.co.za	View

GOALS OF THE .MTN TLD:

The core goals of the .mtn TLD are as follows:

REPUTATIONAL GOALS

1 CREATE AN AUTHORITATIVE TLD

A goal of the .mtn TLD is to develop the reputation of domain names within the .mtn TLD as authoritative points of reference for the MTN brand online, which customers and Internet users will intuitively navigate to and trust.

Operated and controlled exclusively by MTN (Dubai) Limited, the .mtn TLD will leverage the power of the MTN brand to promote .mtn domain names as the single point of reference for the wider MTN brand online. Thus, the .mtn TLD will reduce confusion for Internet users and reduce the likelihood for harm by interacting with online entities that falsely and misleadingly purport to either represent the brand, or in some cases, even impersonate the brand online. Due to the very nature of the telecommunications industry, this is always a prevalent threat. The .mtn TLD will assure users that the content of .mtn domain names is authoritative, genuine and legitimate.

MTN (Dubai) Limited will ensure that the content of the .mtn namespace conforms to its usual terms of use and registration pertaining to Internet policies.

This goal to be the authoritative TLD will be achieved by ensuring all content and registrations are tightly controlled and strictly authorised by MTN (Dubai) Limited immediately upon creation of the TLD.

A benefit for MTN (Dubai) Limited will be the strengthening of the MTN brand via the provision of an authoritative and coherent brand information channel. An additional benefit is the reduction in the risk that consumers may be misled by unauthorised or infringing content within other TLDs. Having this authoritative TLD will create an Internet ‘lighthouse’ that clearly displays to customers and Internet users without doubt that these websites are approved and controlled by the MTN brand.

Such an authoritative TLD could potentially deliver financial benefits to the company by reducing the need for Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) costs, due to marketing and labour not being required to be devoted to this activity. In addition, costs incurred by maintaining a portfolio of defensive domain name registrations within other TLDs and ccTLDs in order to protect the brand and internet users will, over time, be reduced as they become unnecessary.

Consumers will benefit from having certainty that all content on .mtn websites can be trusted, is authorised and company-approved. Users of .mtn domain names will be able to access, within a single TLD, information about the MTN brand, its products, services and affiliates - as designated by clear, logical domain names. The added confidence inherent in MTN (Dubai) Limited being the only possible registrant will ensure a direct and trusted line of communication between customers and the MTN brand. Internet users can also be assured that any information they access through the .mtn TLD is legitimate and supported by the reputation of the brand.

The TLD can also benefit the wider Internet and online communities by generating trust around the reputability of content. It is in the interest of the MTN brand to ensure that the .mtn TLD remains true to its mission and purpose.

Surveys will be conducted by MTN (Dubai) Limited to assess site users’ experience, alongside assessment of the authority and suitability of the information that the .mtn TLD conveys.

The authoritative goal of the TLD will be considered achieved when the majority of survey responses in a reporting cycle reveal a positive and trusting experience in using .mtn websites.

2 BUILDING THE MTN BRAND

Following the introduction of the .mtn TLD, efforts will shift to focusing on transferring the brand reputation of the existing domain names to the .mtn TLD in the marketplace, while promoting the additional benefits the TLD provides. This will serve to expand the overall attractiveness of the brand to customers and Internet users. External marketing campaigns will begin to promote the .mtn TLD and drive traffic to websites within the .mtn TLD only.

Brand building will be achieved through the organic usage and gradual replacement of the existing domain name portfolio in marketing campaigns, with the .mtn TLD to be incorporated over time into all new global and directed marketing. Once established, the TLD’s reputation will then serve as a springboard for efforts to promote the use of the TLD, facilitating the mission⁄purpose of the TLD.

The promotion of .mtn TLD-based websites will also provide an efficient marketing model that encompasses both brand and product. This is a more efficient marketing approach than that currently employed - the usage of existing TLD’s which are neither brand nor product-specific. The benefit to the MTN brand will be in the enablement of internal departments to register, via an ICANN accredited Registrar, brand and product-supportive domain names. The MTN brand will be able to use these registrations to represent product lines and strategic initiatives in support of MTN brand core strategy and the mission⁄purpose of the .mtn TLD. The company will also benefit from maintaining a more marketable online identity.

A website hosted within the .mtn TLD will assure Internet users that they are accessing authoritative and reliable MTN brand, product or company information. As such, it is anticipated that more traffic will be directed to MTN brand sites and away from unreliable and illegitimate websites purporting to provide information relating to the MTN brand.

Surveys will be conducted to measure the impact of the introduction of the .mtn TLD against the existing domain name portfolio. Visit metrics will be utilised to measure the volume of traffic on .mtn websites and subsequently compared to existing data of the current domain name portfolio.

3 CONTROL

Having the .mtn TLD in the control of MTN (Dubai) Limited is another goal. This goal of control will be achieved when the TLD is delegated for use by ICANN and the company’s internal policies are in place to manage the registration of domain names. This creates numerous benefits to the company, consumers and the wider Internet community.

In addition to the aforementioned statements concerning trust and genuine content, MTN (Dubai) Limited sees additional benefits such as:

Adaptability

As the Registry Operator, MTN (Dubai) Limited will benefit from having ultimate control of the TLD and the policy that underpins it. This will enable policy development that serves the mission and purpose of the domain, but at the same time, allow it to be dynamic over time to support the future direction of the business on the Internet.

Being in control of the TLD gives MTN (Dubai) Limited the comfort of knowing any future products or services will have a dedicated TLD in which to reside. It allows the company a platform from which to innovate or adapt to any changes in Internet policy or best practice. Being in control of the TLD also gives the MTN brand the ability to change direction and approach quickly, and in line with the company’s current and future goals.

Availability

Being in control of the TLD will enable MTN (Dubai) Limited to register domain names without needing to compete within other TLDs and ccTLDs for domain names. This will benefit the company by allowing key marketing campaigns to be undertaken which will be promoted with shorter domain names that are easier to remember. Thus consumers and Internet users will be able to intuitively navigate and find relevant domain names – which can be trusted as authoritative from the MTN brand.

The benefits to consumers will be similar to those mentioned above. As also mentioned above, surveys will be used to measure user experience and determine that the goal of control has been met.

4 LEADERSHIP

The leadership goal is to promote and further identify the MTN brand as a leader in innovation and online content in the telecommunications industry.

By securing the .mtn TLD, MTN (Dubai) Limited creates a platform by which the company can lead innovation within the telecommunications industry via online content, marketing initiatives and delivery.

Success will be achieved by tightly integrating existing MTN branded content about the company, as well as current, new and forthcoming products, while using the TLD as an innovative marketing and communications tool and actively involving itself in adding to the development of the Internet. As Internet usage evolves and new TLDs emerge, it is the MTN brand’s goal to be a leader in this new era of Internet development.

An additional benefit to the MTN brand will be in furthering its existing reputation as a global leader of the telecommunications industry. This will serve to enhance the MTN brand as a whole.

The leadership goal will be measured by survey results relating to the perception of the MTN brand in terms of industry leadership.

SERVICE LEVEL-RELATED GOALS

5 A CENTRALISED LOCATION FOR MTN BRAND CONTENT AND INFORMATION

A goal of the .mtn TLD is to have accessible and easily locatable information freely available online. Clients and affiliates, both prospective and existing, require readily available and easily-accessible information about MTN-branded products. The .mtn TLD will facilitate this by offering a centralised location for all MTN products and information pertaining to the brand. As previously stated, this will also be authoritative and governed by MTN (Dubai) Limited.

The MTN brand will benefit from having a cohesive and dedicated online space that will serve as a digital hub for all brand-related activities on the Internet. This will support the diverse global approach that the MTN brand utilises in its operations and serve as a basis for its corporate operations. As previously stated, this will potentially reduce the costs of SEO and reduce company-related expenditure on marketing as a whole.

The consumer will benefit from the naming conventions employed in the .mtn TLD (for example, voice.mtn or business.mtn); enabling a better user experience for online consumers searching for products and information, while also reducing confusion. The .mtn TLD provides for intuitive navigation which, coupled with the introduction of other TLDs, will enhance the overall navigability of the Internet.

Surveys will be conducted to assess the experience of a site user and the ease of accessing .mtn TLD websites. Visit metrics will be utilised to measure the volume of traffic on .mtn websites – where the traffic has originated from and where it is being directed to. This will be compared to existing data on the current domain name portfolio and then analysed for performance.

INNOVATION-RELATED GOALS

6 COMPETITION

The .mtn TLD also seeks to create more competition on the Internet. In creating its own TLD, the MTN brand hopes to drive innovation, not only to its own market segment, but to the Internet as a whole. Having already shown this innovation and leadership in its own market, the MTN brand will give Internet users, as well as existing and potential customers, greater levels of service through the creation of the .mtn TLD. This innovation, service level increase and trust in the TLD will promote more competition on the Internet and thus increase overall levels of service across the industry.

The success of this goal will be tied to the success of the new gTLD program as a whole. As more new TLD’s are delegated to the root, more competition will be created and consequently an increase in service levels will follow.

MTN (Dubai) Limited will not have a specific measure in place for this goal, but will rely on the post-program analysis to be conducted by ICANN and the GAC to determine the overall success of the program.

DIFFERENTIATION

ANTICIPATED CONTRIBUTION TO THE CURRENT SPACE

The .mtn TLD will make a significant contribution to the current space in the following ways:

– The TLD primarily differs from existing TLDs in relation to its unique mission⁄purpose – to promote the MTN brand and its diverse operations. No other TLD currently exists that is devoted specifically to the needs of a single brand. The .mtn TLD will be one of the first TLDs added to the root in which a brand’s digital operations and very image are communicated by and through the TLD via authoritative channels.

MTN (Dubai) Limited intends to request an exemption from clause 1b of the Registry Operator Code of Conduct (Specification 9) pursuant to clause 6 of the Code of Conduct to enable it to register domain names in its own right in this TLD. This planned operating model will allow the .mtn TLD to be one of the first TLDs added to the root in which domain names are not commercially available and are registered only by and in the complete control of the Registry Operator via an ICANN-approved Registrar. This will bring added benefits to the DNS by preventing abuse and infringement, thus increasing reliability and trust. Consequently, the .mtn TLD model and other TLDs will contribute to the development of a new level of trust and confidence on the Internet.

– The use of an authoritative space will also help reduce and⁄or eliminate the number of domain names that are registered for the purpose of infringing the trademark. When end users are educated as to the benefits of the .mtn TLD, the reliance on vast portfolios of defensive domain name registrations to protect Internet users and the MTN brand will be less warranted.

– Where existing TLDs often apply to diverse and broad markets, with no imposed cap on the number of registrations made available, the .mtn TLD will be differentiated by having a relatively small number of domain names. This means that users searching for content related to particular MTN-branded products or services will be easily directed to that content via a potentially small global number of applicable sites.

– With restrictions placed on registrations and their use and content, the .mtn TLD will distinguish itself as a TLD with an online brand identity reflecting the unique and diverse MTN brand.

The above-described features of the .mtn TLD clearly differentiate it from existing top level domains. The .mtn TLD serves to consolidate the MTN brand’s online presence by providing an easily identifiable, globally visible home for MTN brand operations.

Additionally, the .mtn TLD addresses the needs of Internet users by providing an easily identifiable and dedicated TLD, with assurances regarding the legitimacy of content. Websites within other TLDs that are providing unauthoritative information relating to MTN branded products will be easily identifiable, as they will not carry a .mtn top level domain name. This will reduce risk to Internet users of reliance on unauthorised and infringing MTN brand-related content provided by unauthorised third parties.

Because domain name registrations in the .mtn TLD will be the exclusive reserve of MTN (Dubai) Limited, internal departments who register a .mtn domain name will have a distinct advantage over registration within existing TLDs and ccTLDs in terms of value proposition – due to the synonymous relationship between the .mtn string, the registrant and its aims. The .mtn TLD will be recognised by Internet users as the dedicated, authoritative and trusted online space for the MTN brand, as supported by its inclusion within MTN brand marketing activities.

REGISTRATION POLICIES IN SUPPORT OF THE .mtn TLD

All domain names registered within the .mtn TLD will be registered and maintained by MTN (Dubai) Limited for the exclusive use of MTN (Dubai) Limited, MTN (Dubai) Limited internal departments and affiliates (as defined in Article 2.9(c) of the Registry Agreement). MTN (Dubai) Limited will not sell, distribute or transfer control or use of any registration in the TLD to any third party that is not an affiliate of MTN (Dubai) Limited. All domain names will be registered via an ICANN-accredited Registrar.

Eligibility to register domain names in the .mtn TLD will be restricted to specifically-authorised MTN (Dubai) Limited marketing staff members. Clearance for registration will come from an authorised staff member within MTN (Dubai) Limited. Departments within MTN (Dubai) Limited will be able to register associated .mtn domain names to promote activities, products and services and⁄or events with authority. The safeguards against allowing for registrations in violation of this eligibility restriction, including Trademarks, are discussed in the responses to Question 28 and 29. Registration policies will strive to avoid registering any domain names that are confusingly similar to any third party trademarks or related proprietary material; offensive and obscene material will not be tolerated.

An authorised MTN (Dubai) Limited staff member will be designated as the technical contact on all registrations within the .mtn TLD. This staff member will be responsible for the ongoing technical services of websites utilising .mtn domain names.

Domain names registered within the .mtn TLD must further the published strategic goals of MTN (Dubai) Limited, as mandated by the registration policy created and maintained by MTN (Dubai) Limited.

These restrictions underpin the achievement of the goals of the TLD, in particular enhancing trust in the MTN brand and forming an authoritative source of information relating to the brand and its products.

PROTECTION OF PRIVACY AND CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

All domain name registrations in the .mtn TLD will be registered to and maintained by MTN (Dubai) Limited for its own exclusive internal use. No measures need be taken for protecting the privacy or confidential information of registrants in the .mtn TLD because no information of a private nature will be collected during the registration process.

MTN (Dubai) Limited will not distribute or transfer control or use of any registrations in the TLD to any third party that is not an affiliate. Use of .mtn domain name registrations will be reserved for the exclusive use of MTN (Dubai) Limited and its affiliates. Accordingly, MTN (Dubai) Limited considers that no measures need be taken toward protecting the privacy or confidential information of users of domain name registrations in the .mtn TLD.

OUTREACH AND COMMUNICATIONS ACTIVITIES

The outreach and communication activities for the .mtn TLD will be conducted in two different formats and include above the line (public) and below the line (closed and directed) marketing initiatives.

Above the line communications will focus on directed communications to internal departments, members and affiliates of the MTN brand, for the purpose of communicating the new TLD and the opportunities this presents. It is envisaged that this will be carried out and implemented by initiatives such as internal communiqués, email communications from the marketing department and public speaking opportunities at company-sanctioned events and gatherings.

Below the line communications will focus on launching the .mtn TLD to targeted audiences and prospective MTN brand customers. This will be executed via an initial awareness campaign designed to notify and educate target audiences and members on the introduction of .mtn and its benefits. The campaign will be executed via advertising and public relations activity in line with existing marketing activities already conducted by the MTN brand. Additionally, domain names within the .mtn TLD will be introduced as the primary domain names for high-profile campaigns within pre-selected market and geographic segments. This will drive end user utilisation and begin the process of behavioural change within the target audience. This is in line with the mission⁄purpose of the TLD to promote and enhance the overall MTN brand.

gTLD	Full Legal Name	E-mail suffix	Detail
.boots	THE BOOTS COMPANY PLC	boots.co.uk	View

GOALS OF THE .BOOTS TLD

The following six goals have been identified as goals of the .boots TLD:

REPUTATIONAL GOALS

1 CREATE AN AUTHORITATIVE TLD

One of the goals of the .boots TLD is to develop a reputation as the authoritative online point of reference for the Boots brand, which customers and Internet users will intuitively navigate to and trust.

Boots Company intends to request an exemption from clause 1b of the Registry Operator Code of Conduct (Specification 9) pursuant to clause 6 of the Code of Conduct to enable it to register domain names in its own right in this TLD. Registrations will not be made commercially available; all domain name registrations in the TLD will be registered to and maintained by Boots Company for its own exclusive use. Boots Company will not sell, distribute or transfer control or use of any registration in the TLD to any third party that is not an Affiliate, as that term is defined in clause 2.9(c) of the Registry Agreement. It is thus planned that the TLD will be operated and controlled by the Boots Company and, as such, will leverage the power of the brand to promote .boots as the single point-of-reference for the Boots Company online. Given the nature of the pharmaceutical, health and beauty industries, the .boots TLD will serve to reduce confusion for Internet users and also reduce the likelihood for their detriment by interacting with online entities that falsely or fraudulently purport to either represent the Boots Company, or in some cases, impersonate the company online. Users will therefore have confidence that content within the .boots online sphere is genuine, legitimate and secure. Boots will ensure that the content of the .boots namespace conforms to its well-defined terms of use and registration pertaining to Internet policies.

This goal to be an authoritative TLD will be achieved by ensuring all registrations and content will be strictly authorised and controlled by Boots immediately upon creation of the TLD.

A benefit for the Boots Company will be the strengthening of its brand via the provision of a coherent company information channel and a reduction of the risk of consumers being misled by unauthorised or infringing content. Having this authoritative TLD will create an Internet ‘lighthouse’ that clearly displays to consumers and Internet users without doubt that its websites are approved by the Boots Company. Such an authoritative TLD may deliver financial benefits to the company by potentially reducing the need for Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) costs due to marketing spend and labour not being devoted to this activity. In addition, costs related to the maintenance of defensive domain name registrations to protect the brand in various TLDs will, over time, be reduced as they become unnecessary.

Consumers will benefit by having certainty that all content within the .boots TLD is authorised and company-approved. Within a single TLD, visitors to .boots domain names will be able to access information about the Boots Company, its products and services, as designated by clear, logical domain names. The added confidence inherent in the Boots Company being the only eligible registrant will ensure a direct and trusted line of communication between consumers and the Boots Company. Internet users can be assured that any information they access through the .boots TLD is legitimate and supported by the strong reputation of Boots Company.

The .boots TLD will also benefit the Internet, e-commerce and online communities by generating trust around the reputability of the content. It is in the interest of the Boots Company to ensure that the .boots TLD remains true to its mission and purpose.

Surveys will be conducted by the Boots Company to assess a site user’s experience, alongside assessment of the authority and suitability of the information that .boots conveys. The authoritative TLD goal will be considered achieved when the majority of survey responses in a reporting cycle reveal a positive, trusting experience in using .boots websites.

2 BUILD BRAND

Following the introduction of the .boots TLD, efforts will shift to focusing on migrating content from exiting domain name portfolios across to the .boots TLD. This will begin to build the reputation of the TLD in the marketplace and consequently the Boots brand. External marketing campaigns will promote the .boots TLD and drive traffic to .boots websites only.

Brand building will be achieved through the organic usage and replacement over time of the existing domain name portfolio and the incorporation of .boots into existing global and directed marketing in order to influence consumers. Once established, the TLD’s reputation will then serve as a springboard for efforts to promote the use of the TLD, facilitating the mission⁄purpose of the TLD. The promotion of .boots-based websites will also provide an efficient marketing model that encompasses both brand and product. This is a far more efficient marketing approach than that currently employed – usage of existing TLDs and ccTLDs which are neither product or brand-related.

The benefit to the Boots Company will be in enabling internal departments to register, via an ICANN-accredited Registrar, brand-supportive domain names. The Boots Company will be able to use these registrations to represent product lines and strategic initiatives in support of the Boots Company core strategy and mission⁄purpose of the .boots TLD. The promotion of the domain names will also enable more efficient marketing which encompasses both brand and product. The company will also benefit from maintaining a more easily marketable online identity. A website under the .boots TLD will assure Internet users that they are accessing authoritative and reliable Boots Company information. As such, it is anticipated that more traffic will be directed to sites within the .boots TLD and away from unreliable and illegitimate websites purporting to provide information relating to Boots Company products and services.

Surveys will be conducted to measure the impact of the introduction of the .boots TLD against the existing domain name portfolio. Visit metrics will be utilised to measure the volume of traffic on .boots websites and subsequently compared to traffic data of the current domain name portfolio.

3 CONTROL

Having the .boots TLD under the control of the Boots Company is an additional goal. This will be achieved when the TLD is delegated for use by ICANN and the internal policies described in this application are in place to manage the registration of domain names. As mentioned above, this creates numerous benefits to the company, consumers and the wider Internet community.

Many benefits are similar to the above statements around trust and genuine content, but in addition to these, in meeting this goal of control, the Boots Company sees additional benefits such as:

Adaptability

As the Registry Operator, Boots will benefit from having ultimate control of the TLD and the policy that underpins it. This will enable policy to be developed that serves the mission and purpose of the TLD but, at the same time, allows it to adapt to support the future direction of the business on the Internet. Being in control of the TLD gives the Boots Company the comfort of knowing any future products or services will have a dedicated TLD to reside in. It allows the company a platform from which to innovate or adapt to any changes in Internet policy or best practice. Being in control of the TLD also gives Boots the ability to change direction and approach, quickly and in line with the company’s current goals.

Availability

Being in control of the TLD will enable the Boots Company to register domain names without the need to compete within other TLDs and ccTLDs. This will benefit the company by allowing key marketing campaigns to be supported by shorter and more relevant domain names that are easy to remember. Thus, consumers and Internet users will be able to intuitively navigate and find relevant domain names which can be trusted as authoritative from Boots Company.

The benefits to consumers will be similar to those mentioned above. As also mentioned above, surveys will be used to measure user experience and determine that the goal of control has been met.

4 LEADERSHIP

Another goal of the TLD is to promote and identify Boots Company as a leader in innovation and online content. By securing the .boots TLD, Boots Company creates a platform by which the company can lead innovation in online content, marketing initiatives and delivery. A benefit to the Boots Company will be in furthering its existing reputation as a European leader in retailing pharmaceutical, health and beauty products which benefit people in their day-to-day lives. This will enhance the Boots brand as a whole.

Success will be achieved by maintaining viable and up-to-date content about the company, new and forthcoming products, whilst using the TLD as an innovative marketing and communications tool and leading the development of the Internet. As Internet usage evolves and new TLDs emerge, it is the Boots Company’s goal to be a leader in this new era of Internet development.

This goal will be measured by the initial delegation and usage of the TLD. Following delegation, visitation statistics and survey results will be used to measure not only how many visits are recorded against the site, but the perception of the Boots Company in terms of industry leadership.


SERVICE LEVEL-RELATED GOALS

5 A CENTRALISED LOCATION FOR BOOTS COMPANY CONTENT AND INFORMATION

A goal of the .boots TLD is to have accessible and easily-locatable information that is freely available online. Clients and partners, both prospective and existing, require readily available and easily accessible information about Boots Company products and services. The .boots TLD will facilitate this by offering a centralised location for all Boots Company products, services and information pertaining to the company. As previously stated, this will be authoritative and governed by Boots Company.

Boots Company will benefit from having a cohesive and dedicated online space serving as a digital hub for all Boots Company activities on the Internet, supporting the diverse global approach Boots Company utilises in its operations and serving as a basis of its corporate operations. As previously stated, this could potentially reduce the costs of SEO and reduce company-related expenditure on marketing as a whole.

The consumer will benefit from the naming conventions employed in the .boots TLD (for example, skincare.boots or photo.boots), enabling a better user experience for online consumers searching for products and information whilst reducing confusion. The .boots TLD provides for intuitive navigation which, coupled with the introduction of other TLDs, will enhance the overall navigability of the Internet.

Surveys will be conducted to assess a site user’s experience and the ease of accessing .boots TLD websites. Visit metrics will be utilised to measure the volume of traffic on .boots websites, where the traffic has originated from and where it is being directed to. This will be compared to traffic data of the current domain name portfolio and analysed for performance.

6 COMPETITION

Another goal of the TLD is to encourage competition on the Internet. By creating its own TLD, Boots Company hopes to drive innovation, not only to its own market segment but to the Internet as a whole. Having already demonstrated this innovation and leadership in its own market, Boots Company now hopes to provide Internet users, as well as existing and potential customers, greater levels of service with the .boots TLD. This innovation, increase in service level and trust in the TLD will promote more competition on the Internet and thus increase overall levels of service across the industry.

The success of this goal will be tied to the success of the new gTLD program as a whole. As new TLD’s are delegated to the root, more competition will be created and consequently an increase in service levels will follow. Boots Company will not have a specific measure in place for this goal, but will rely upon the post-program analysis conducted by ICANN and the GAC to determine if the program has been successful.

DIFFERENTIATION

The .boots TLD will make a significant contribution to the current space in the following ways:

– The TLD primarily differs from existing TLDs in relation to its unique mission⁄purpose – to promote the Boots Company and its operations. No other TLD currently exists that is specifically devoted to the needs of a single brand or company. The .boots TLD will be one of the first TLDs added to the root in which a single brand’s digital operations and very image are communicated by and through the TLD via an authoritative channel.

– The unique, vertical integration of the .boots TLD model will allow the .boots TLD to be one of the first TLDs added to the root in which domain names are not commercially available and are only registered by and in the complete control of the Registry Operator via an ICANN-approved Registrar. This will bring added benefits to the DNS by preventing abuse and infringement, thus increasing reliability and trust. Consequently, the .boots TLD model and other TLDs will contribute to the development of a new level of trust and confidence on the Internet.

– The use of an authoritative space will also help to reduce and⁄or eliminate domain names that are registered for the purposes of infringing the Boots trademark. When end users are educated as to the benefits of the .boots TLD, reliance on vast portfolios of defensive domain name registrations will be less warranted going forward.
– Where existing TLDs often apply to diverse and broad markets, with no imposed cap on the number of registrations made available, the .boots TLD will be differentiated by having a concentrated number of domain names. This means that users searching for content related to a particular Boots Company product or service will be easily directed to that content via a potentially small global number of applicable sites.
– With restrictions placed on registrations, their use and content, the .boots TLD will distinguish itself as a TLD with an online brand identity reflecting the unique and diverse Boots brand.
- the .boots TLD addresses the needs of Internet users by providing an easily identifiable and dedicated TLD with assurances regarding the legitimacy of content. Websites providing unauthoritative information within other TLDs relating to Boots Company products and services will be easily identifiable, as they will not carry a .boots Top Level Domain name. This will reduce consumer reliance on unauthorised and infringing Boots Company-related content provided by unauthorised third parties.

REGISTRATION POLICIES IN SUPPORT OF THE .BOOTS TLD

All domain names registered within the .boots TLD will be registered and maintained by Boots for the exclusive use of the Boots Company, its internal departments and its Affiliates (as defined in Article 2.9(c) of the Registry Agreement). The Boots Company will not sell, distribute or transfer the control or use of any registration within the TLD to any third party that is not an Affiliate of Boots. All domain names will be registered via an ICANN-accredited Registrar.

Once authorised by a staff member vested with the authority to approve domain name registration requests, domain names in the .boots TLD will be registered by a select number of specifically-authorised Boots Company marketing department staff members. Departments within the Boots Company will be able to request to register an associated .boots domain name to promote their activities, products and services and⁄or events with authority. Safeguards against allowing for registrations in violation of this eligibility restriction, including trademarks, are discussed in the responses to Question 28 and Question 29. Registration policies will strive to avoid the registration of any domain names which are confusingly similar to any trademarks or related proprietary material; offensive and obscene material will not be tolerated in relation to the use of domain name registrations.

The Information Technology Services Manager will be designated as the technical contact on all registrations within the .boots TLD. This staff member will be responsible for the ongoing technical services of websites utilising .boots domain names.

Domain names registered within the .boots TLD must further the published strategic goals of the Boots Company, as mandated by the registration policy which will be created and maintained by the company.

These restrictions underpin the achievement of the goals of the TLD, in particular enhancing trust in the Boots brand and forming an authoritative source of information relating to Boots Company operations.

PROTECTION OF PRIVACY AND CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

All domain name registrations in the .boots TLD will be registered to and maintained by the Boots Company for its own exclusive internal use. No measures need be taken for protecting the privacy or confidential information of registrants in the .boots TLD because no information of a private nature will be collected during the registration process.

The Boots Company will not distribute or transfer control or use of domain name registrations in the TLD to any third party that is not an Affiliate (as defined in clause 2.9(c) of the Registry Agreement). Use of .boots domain name registrations will be reserved for the exclusive use of the Boots Company and its Affiliates. Accordingly, the Boots Company consider that no measures need be taken toward protecting the privacy or confidential information of users of domain name registrations in the .boots TLD.

OUTREACH AND COMMUNICATIONS ACTIVITIES

Outreach and communication activities for the .boots TLD will be conducted in two different formats, and include both below the line (closed and directed) marketing and above the line (public) initiatives.

The first format will focus on internal communications and be directed towards internal departments and affiliates of the Boots Company for the purpose of communicating the introduction of the new TLD and the opportunities this presents. It is envisaged that this will be carried out and implemented by initiatives such as internal communiqués, email communications from the marketing department and speaking opportunities at company sanctioned events.

The second format will focus on launching the new TLD to Boots Company target audiences and customers. This will be executed via an initial awareness campaign designed to notify and educate target audiences and customer groups on the introduction of .boots and its respective benefits. The campaign will be executed via advertising and public relations activity. Additionally, the .boots TLD will be introduced as the primary online destination for high profile advertising activity within pre-selected market and geographic segments. This will drive end-user utilisation and begin the process of behavioural change within the target audience. This is in line with the mission⁄purpose of the TLD to promote and enhance the Boots brand.