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

Prototypical answer:

SFR SA intends to organize the registry operation for .SFR in such a manner that it will minimize the likelihood of having multiple applications or registration requests for a particular domain name.

According to SFR SA, this can be achieved in any of the following ways, which likely needs to be further refined following ICANN’s award and delegation of the .SFR gTLD to SFR SA:

i. SFR is the Applicant’s distinctive and most recognized household brand;

ii. From the Applicant’s perspective, .SFR may bring a high degree of recognition and specialization to the currently existing name space. Where in most cases the specific connotation that has been initially given to gTLDs (or even ccTLDs) has disappeared, the .SFR top-level domain is currently intended to be unambiguous as regards:

• the identity of SFR SA as the Registry Operator;
• the source of the content and services offered under the .SFR gTLD;
• the affiliation between the Registry Operator and the gTLD; and
• in term, and at the discretion of SFR SA, the affiliation between the Registry Operator and any third party that is authorized by SFR SA to register and⁄or use one or more domain name registrations in the .SFR gTLD.

iii. As mentioned in the vision and mission statement above, the key reasons why the Applicant is applying for .SFR include, but are not limited to:

1. Securing and protecting the SFR brand as a generic top-level domain;

SFR SA holds various registered trademarks for SFR. The main reason for which SFR SA submits this application for the .SFR gTLD is that it wants to prevent third parties from securing the gTLD that is identical to SFR SA’s highly distinctive and reputable brand.

2. Marketing and branding: reflecting the Applicant’s key brand SFR at the top-level of the DNS’ hierarchy;

3. Safety and security; and

4. Implementing measures – in the near or distant future – to mitigate counterfeiting and piracy.

iv. The Applicant intends to implement the following policies and procedures with respect to the registration of domain names in the .SFR top-level domain:

(i) reservation and registration of domain names in the name of SFR SA. It is likely that this will be the scenario that SFR SA will put in place during the first months or even years of operation of the .SFR gTLD.

These names may include, but are not limited to:
a. descriptive names, referring to the actual day-to-day business activities of the Applicant or its Affiliates;
b. descriptive names, referring to the internal departments of the Applicant;
c. descriptive names, referring to the subsidiaries, affiliates and⁄or joint ventures of the Applicant; and
d. various trademarks or variants thereof registered and⁄or used by SFR;
e. potentially also names relating to other stakeholders of SFR SA, to be determined by SFR SA following ICANN’s award and delegation of the .SFR gTLD to SFR SA.

(ii) launch of the TLD: if and when implemented by the Registry Operator, this is likely going to be a gradual process, whereby selected third parties that meet certain criteria, which SFR SA will be entitled to set at its own discretion, may register domain names in the .SFR gTLD. These processes may include the following:

a. Sunrise: allow physical persons, organizations and entities that meet the eligibility requirements determined by SFR SA at that point in time to choose and, where allowed by SFR SA, to register the domain names that are identical to their trademarks; and

b. Land rush and general availability: other available domain names may be registered by physical persons, organizations and entities that meet the eligibility requirements in force at that point in time to choose the domain names in accordance with the applicable terms and conditions.

Depending on the terms and conditions in force at the time of launch of the gTLD, these domain names may or may not be registered in the name of the applicant for the domain name or in the name of the Registry Operator of the gTLD (i.e., SFR SA). In any case, SFR SA reserves the right to impose additional and other restrictions from time to time at its sole discretion.

v. Given the fact that the Applicant is a company that is established in France, it is subject to national privacy and data protection rules and practices. In particular, given the fact that the French and European data protection authorities have issued strict guidelines, SFR SA will at all times be obliged to carefully consider and, where applicable, implement these policies, and this prior to and during the operation of the .SFR gTLD.

vi. The Applicant is a corporation that has been established in and has been trading under the SFR brand since 1988).

At this stage, SFR SA has not developed concrete and tangible plans in order to move its online activities from SFR.fr and many other active domain names used by SFR SA and its subsidiaries, affiliates and joint ventures. However, the Applicant has different ways to make existing and future customers, visitors and stakeholders aware of the (gradual) development of a new online environment under the .SFR TLD, including but not limited to:

a. Direct and indirect marketing and branding initiatives;
b. Brochures and advertisements in newspapers, magazines, etc.;
c. Internet advertising campaigns, including paid search, pay-per-click advertising, etc.;
d. Having Internet traffic to the SFR.fr or other domain names resolving into domain names registered in the .SFR gTLD, which builds awareness with Internet users that the .SFR gTLD exists; and
e. Email marketing campaigns.

Similar gTLD applications: (10)