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

Prototypical answer:

i. What is the goal of your proposed gTLD in terms of areas of specialty, service
levels, or reputation?

The goal will be to enhance reputation of the Firmdale Hotel group, whilst maintaining the individuality of each hotel. It will permit targeted websites for each hotel, restaurant, bar and other facilities such as the screening rooms, meeting rooms, event spaces, etc. It will assist growth of the business into new ventures and provide for all its internet addressing needs. It will provide new avenues for marketing with key words associated with the brand, and build brand awareness.


ii. What do you anticipate your proposed gTLD will add to the current space, in terms of competition, differentiation, or
innovation?
The new .Firmdale domain space will provide better umbrella branding to the individual hotels which tend to be known by their unique names. For example our surveys show that guests know the “Covent Garden Hotel”; but they don’t necessarily associate it with “Firmdale” the corporate entity. Firmdale anticipates new innovative ways to enhance customer relations and increased personalisation of customer service. For example events could have their own dedicated website with specific information for a given conference, wedding or family event. There may be dedicated space under .firmdale for personalisation of customer preferences and customer feedback. Using its own domain extension will assist differentiation from other competing hotels and foster its innovative reputation.

iii. What goals does your proposed gTLD have in terms of user experience?

As stated above for the Firmdale Hotel group, it will provide for the business better branding, increased brand awareness and new marketing avenues. This is to benefit customers and guests, and potential new guests of the Firmdale Hotel group.


iv. Provide a complete description of the applicant’s intended registration policies in support of the goals listed above.

The registry will be a “single registrant registry” open only to the Applicant, its affiates*, future undertakings and its subsidiaries. All dot firmdale addresses will be for the benefit of the business and to better serve its customers. There will be no spam, illegal content or viruses with a .firmdale. Firmdale has an Anti-Abuse Policy. Firmdale upholds rights of trademark holders and all names will be subject to URS and UDRP in addition to ICANN consensus policies and rules. This will enhance customer trust with the brand.

Firmdaleʹs Rules for the Registration of Domain names includes:
1) All domain names in the TLD shall be registered to Firmdale Holdings Ltd, its subsidiaries, affiliates* or future undertakings. Registrations to third parties are prohibited.
2) Domain names must be 1-63 characters, the characters which may be used in a label are the 26 letters [ʺAʺ-ʺZʺ] of the Roman alphabet without regard to upper- or lower-case, the 10
digits [ʺ0ʺ-ʺ9ʺ] and the hyphen [ʺ-ʺ]. The hyphen may not be used as the initial or final character of a label.
3) Tagged Domain Names not permitted ie Names with ʺ-ʺ on the third and the fourth position may not be used(e.g., ʺbq—1h2n4j4cʺ).
4) Two letter and three letter names must not be used to represent countries or territories (as per draft Registry Agreement Specification 5 restricted names) and must be obviously associated with the business of Firmdale.
5) Firmdale permits IDNs .firmdale.
6) Domain Name abuse is strictly prohibited and includes but is not limited to its Domain Name Abuse Policy (see further answer question 28 amd 29).
7) All domain names shall be subject to Registry “Policies” means any rules, standards, procedures, requirements, practices and other policies of Firmdale Holdings Ltd, or any other competent entity or authority including any ICANN consensus policies and any other rules, standards, procedures, requirements, practices and other policies promulgated by ICANN or as determined by Firmdale.


* “Affiliate” means a person or entity that, directly or indirectly, through one or more intermediaries, controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with, the person or entity specified, and (ii) “control” (including the terms “controlled by” and “under common control with”) means the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management or policies of a person or entity, whether through the ownership of securities, as trustee or executor, by serving as an employee or a member of a board of directors or equivalent governing body, by contract, by credit arrangement or otherwise.

v. Will your proposed gTLD impose any measures for protecting the privacy or confidential information of registrants or users?

If so, please describe any such. All domain names.firmdale will be for the exclusive use of the Firmdale Hotel group. The whois record will be public and will show all domains as registered to Firmdale. In the event Firmdale registers domain names for certain uses of its customers such as a dedicated domain name and webpage for events hosted at the hotels, visitors and hotel guests will be protected under its privacy policy in addition to any data protection legislation in force. Firmdale is committed to ensuring online privacy of users and visitors. For example Firmdale does not track visitors to its websites. Information that is voluntarily provided while visiting a Firmdale web site is treated as restricted, sensitive information and Firmdale protects it using advanced technology.

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