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

Prototypical answer:

The purpose of Applicant’s new TLD is to create a closed branded TLD to enhance the security, stability, and recognition of Applicant’s websites and the Internet communications of Applicant’s worldwide employees and business operations groups. In doing so, Applicant will improve its interactions both within the company and with external customers and consumers. Applicant is a world leader in the fields of insurance, investments, retirement, annuities and employee benefits. As such, its customers expect it to be on the cutting edge of technology when it comes to Internet security, data privacy, and brand protection. By operating a closed TLD, Applicant expects to ensure that the associated URLs and email addresses are recognized as owned and controlled by Applicant, and are secure and reliable. Applicant intends to use the TLD in various ways consistent with this mission, including but not limited to the use of second level domains within the branded TLD as:

1. URLs for external and internal websites to help internet users insure that the website truly originates with and is controlled by Applicant.
2. Email addresses for Applicant’s business groups to give recipients assurance that the messages are legitimate and originate with Applicant.
3. URLs for private customer websites.

Applicant believes the operation of closed branded TLDs will promote competition by insuring best in class practices among registry service providers and among registrars, who will strive to meet the highest standards of corporate registry owners who have elected to put their brand on a TLD.

The ability to improve security and stability within the closed TLD will enhance consumer trust in the operation of the Internet. When a highly respected company such as Prudential puts its brand on the TLD, customers will rightly trust that the TLD will represent the highest possible standards in the industry and that Prudential stands behind the operation of the TLD and has selected industry leaders as its service provider partners.

The existence of branded TLDs will promote consumer choice by giving consumers the ability to focus on trusted brands for their dealings on the Internet; such choice is increased as the closed branded TLD business model becomes more common. Applicant considers user trust, security, and stability to be critical features of its TLD plans, and therefore intends to utilize best in class procedures to avoid cybersquatting, phishing, piracy and confusion within the TLD, and has chosen to work with service providers who meet the highest standards for data protection, stabile operations, and privacy protection.

Applicant further believes that the risks and problems involved in the launch of gTLDs are mitigated or fully avoided in the case of closed branded TLDs since there is a single registrant controlling the use of a limited number branded domain names. Among the safeguards that accomplish this goal is the fact that the registry is available to a single registrant who is the owner of the brand reflected by the TLD who has a vested interest in the continued integrity and reputation of that brand. As a result, there is no risk of cybersquatting, abusive registration, or misuse of the domain by unscrupulous registrants. Similarly, there is no incentive to engage in speculative registration of unnecessary domain names for resale, pay per click advertising, or other monetization schemes. This will reduce clutter in the domain name space by insuring that all active domains have a business purpose relevant to the brand, thereby enhancing the utility for use by customers, consumers, and other Internet users.

The nature of the TLD as a closed branded registry also eliminates introduction and expansion problems caused by the rush of applicants to secure prime domain names, since the only eligible registrant is the owner of the brand reflected in the TLD. This leaves little possibility for conflict between competing parties claiming interest in identical or confusingly similar names during the introduction of the domain. To further prevent that possibility, Applicant, as a brand owner, will adopt the best practices of dispute resolution and avoidance so that any unintentional conflicts can be quickly and effectively resolved.

Similar gTLD applications: (228)