gTLD	Full Legal Name	E-mail suffix	Detail
.study	OPEN UNIVERSITIES AUSTRALIA PTY LTD	ngtld.webcentral.com.au	View

18(B)I. WHAT IS THE GOAL OF YOUR PROPOSED gTLD IN TERMS OF AREAS OF SPECIALTY, SERVICE LEVELS OR REPUTATION?

The key goals of the proposed new .study gTLD are in line with ICANN’s Affirmation of Commitments: to promote consumer trust, competition and consumer choice. OUA also seeks to foster its reputation as the leading provider of its online learning services and provide an authoritative internet space through which OUA and its affiliates are able to communicate with its users directly and effectively. Acknowledged within the Australian market for its online innovation, OUA aims to use the proposed .study gTLD to leverage its market leadership position as an online learning space and drive traffic and business growth for OUA by using .study as a trusted centre of targeted content and information about study options for its prospective students. The .study gTLD will allow its users to identify study topics more quickly and easily by matching their learning interest, career aspirations and lifestyles. OUA also plans to provide second level domain names such as open.study and university.study to assist in generating search-derived traffic for itself and its partner universities. Further, the ability to create personalised domain names on demand and domain names related to the individual study topics OUA provides will support these goals. Strengthened security measures, service levels and more effective functionality will provide a trusted and positive user experience.


18(B)II. WHAT DO YOU ANTICIPATE YOUR PROPOSED gTLD WILL ADD TO THE CURRENT SPACE, IN TERMS OF COMPETITION, DIFFERENTIATION, OR INNOVATION?

It is anticipated that the proposed .study gTLD will make positive contributions to the wider internet community, particularly in the online learning space, by providing:


DIFFERENTIATION (INCREASED TRUST):

The .study gTLD will simplify how internet users interact with OUA by providing a distinctive domain space specifically for open online learning. OUA anticipates that the .study gTLD will generate more search-derived traffic from users searching for study options. Such internet users will be able to directly navigate to the .study gTLD site to find the most relevant study option for their studies. By centralising accredited and certified study options, .study will facilitate its users’ decision-making process when investing in their education, saving them time and resources searching for the appropriate studying opportunity tailored to their needs. Further, OUA plans to increase its partnership with other educational institutions in Australia and overseas. The use of the .study gTLD may ultimately be adopted to regulate the education sector from a digital perspective. OUA seeks to establish a global standard in education by developing the .study gTLD to differentiate its offer in online learning among multiple providers. OUA already offers a unique model which enables students to study individual study topics and to commence study without the need for previous study, in most cases, via open entry. The current domain name system has shown that it is vulnerable to malicious abuses due to registration of domain names which seek to exploit consumer confusion. OUA can address some of these vulnerabilities by maintaining complete control over the domain names registered under the .study domain space. OUA intends to use .study to ensure that users are able to distinguish OUA’s selected network of education providers and the individual study topics they offer from counterfeiters. Together with consumer trust, internet users will be able to rely on the authoritativeness of the domain names under the .study domain space, which will differentiate interaction between internet users and OUA’s websites.


COMPETITION:

The differentiation of .study gTLD as a trusted online learning site for OUA will drive existing and new TLD registry operators and other education providers to make improvements in mechanisms to improve consumer trust of their TLDs. The ability to market OUA’s offer of individual study topics with the use of the .study gTLD will provide OUA a significant competitive edge as students wishing to find appropriate study options tailored to their needs will be encouraged to interact with domain names under the .study domain space. With a dedicated .study domain space, educational institutions and services providers in the education sector may have increased choices in the registration of domain names. As a result, .study will have a flow on effect to enable increased competition. Therefore, the benefits of the proposed .study gTLD will be distributed not only to its direct customers, but to the internet community at large forcing improved services in the market place.


INNOVATION:

With the expansion of the internet community to all corners of the world, the existing TLD structure presents limitations, not only in the availability of domain names for registrants, but also to businesses and organisations establishing a coherent global online brand presence to meet their evolving business needs. It is often difficult to register a domain name in existing domain space due to unavailability of the desired name. This problem is amplified for organisations such as OUA who work across many different jurisdictions and geographical markets. Even when the desired domain name is available, it may come with a high price tag associated with a purchase of such desired name from a third party or be ambiguous and fail to explain the nature of the organisation’s business. With .study, OUA has the ability to create second or third level domain names including the use of geographic names on demand which are relevant to its student base and the individual online study topics that OUA offers. By building its website and future websites with clear domain names such as openuniversities.study and country.study, OUA will be able to convey a clear message that it provides studying options from its partner universities and other accredited education providers. OUA will be able to combine its use of the domain space with innovative user focused marketing and services to address the currently unmet needs in the existing domain name system providing greater consumer choice.


18(B)III. WHAT GOALS DOES YOUR PROPOSED gTLD HAVE IN TERMS OF USER EXPERIENCE?

The proposed .study gTLD will provide a positive user experience, which meets the changing and growing needs of the global internet community. OUA will maintain control in the registration and use of domain names and will ensure that the new gTLD will only be used for purposes authorised by OUA. Therefore, the .study gTLD will:

- provide an easy and intuitive reference and access point for internet users searching for study options matching their learning interest or career aspirations;

- represent authenticity thus promoting user confidence;

- direct internet users to relevant information in a timely manner by creating domain names such as university.study on demand;

- allow the use of IDNs at a later stage to enable OUA’s current and prospective students to interact directly in their native language;

- use geographic names to localise OUA’s websites to connect with internet users in the relevant regions and to comply with local laws;

- enhance security and minimise security risks by implementing necessary technical and policy measures;

- strengthen brand reputation and user confidence by eliminating user confusion; and

- prevent potential abuses in the registration process reducing overall costs to businesses and users.


OUA intends to create relevant domain names for use including product, services or geographic names in the second or third level domain names. In accordance with the registration policy and the proposed measures for protection of geographic names as outlined in response to Question 22, OUA will use geographic names to localise its websites in the Australia and its main territories initially where OUA offers its online studies. OUA plans to expand the use of geographic names to other countries in the Asia Pacific and US regions at a later stage where OUA plans to expand its operations. The use of geographic names is intended to:

- connect internet users with relevant information as applicable to the territory; and

- comply with required rules and regulations in the relevant territory.


At this stage, OUA does not intend to utilise Internationalized Domain Names (IDNs) at the second level. However, as the use of the .study gTLD evolves, OUA may wish to utilise IDNs to allow internet users to engage with .study in their native language, creating a more positive user experience and encouraging diversity.

The .study gTLD should address the concerns that the current domain name system is open to potential malicious abuse and user confusion in the registration processes. Although the current system allows an eligible party to lodge a claim through existing Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP) or other dispute resolution processes, the .study gTLD will reduce potential abuses in the registration processes and overall costs to internet users. User confidence in the domain name system will be strengthened, which will ultimately contribute towards promoting ICANN’s core values in benefiting the public interest.


18(B)IV. PROVIDE A COMPLETE DESCRIPTION OF THE APPLICANTʹS INTENDED REGISTRATION POLICIES IN SUPPORT OF THE GOALS LISTED ABOVE.

The proposed registration policy is attached in response to Question 28.

Only OUA will be eligible to register domain names in .study at this stage. The domain name registration processes will address the requirements mandated by ICANN, including rights abuse prevention measures.


18(B)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 MEASURES.

OUA is committed to protection of privacy and confidential information in accordance with its objective of increasing consumer trust and providing a safe and legitimate internet space for internet users. Privacy and confidential information will be protected in accordance with all applicable laws and regulations relating to internet security, privacy and user’s confidential information including the Privacy Act 1988 (Australia).

Privacy is of fundamental concern to most of OUA’s students as such OUA has a strong interest in ensuring a high level of privacy protection for its users. OUA has implemented its own privacy policy that complies with the 10 National Privacy Principles (NPP) listed under the Privacy Act 1988 (Australia) to demonstrate its commitment to the protection of user privacy and confidential information. OUA’s privacy policy includes provisions regarding:

1. Collection of personal information (NPP 1 & 10): OUA will not collect any personal information unless it is necessary for its functions. OUA will inform a user of the purpose of such a collection when the information is needed.

2. Use and disclosure of personal information (NPP 2): OUA will only use the personal information collected for the purpose informed to the user or otherwise permitted by law.

3. Security and quality of personal information (NPP 3 & 4): OUA takes reasonable steps to ensure that the personal information in its collection is accurate, complete and up-to-date and protects the personal information from misuse, loss, unauthorised access, modification or disclosure.

4. Access to and correction of personal information (NPP 5 & 6): OUA allows its users to access their personal information and request for any correction of such information to be made.

5. Commonwealth Government Identifiers (NPP 7): OUA will issue its own identification numbers instead of using Commonwealth government identifiers (such as health insurance numbers) as its own identifier of individuals to protect the privacy of information provided by its users.

6. Anonymity (NPP 8): OUA allows users not to identify themselves when it is lawful and practicable to do so.

7. Transborder Data Flows (NPP 9): OUA complies with the requirements under law relating to transborder data flows.

8. Sensitive information (NPP 10): OUA will not collect sensitive information about its users without their consent unless permitted by law.


As the .study gTLD will only be available to OUA, initially, the amount of personal data that will be collected for the purposes of operating the gTLD and made publicly available in the WHOIS database will be very limited. OUA will provide a publicly available and searchable WHOIS look up facility, where information about the domain name status, registrant information including administrative and technical contact details can be found in accordance with Specification 4 of the Registry Agreement. In order to prevent misuse of the WHOIS look up facility, OUA will utilise measures including a requirement where any person submitting a WHOIS database query is required to read and agree to the terms and conditions in accordance with the registration policy. This will include the terms of use that the WHOIS database is provided for information purposes only and that the user agrees not to use the information for any other purposes such as allowing or enabling the transmission of unsolicited commercial advertising or other communication.

OUA will deploy Domain Name System Security Extensions (DNSSEC) which is intended to benefit both OUA and its users interacting with OUA online. DNSSEC provides additional security by validating information in the transmission, therefore it is intended to benefit those who publish information in the domain name system (DNS) and the users who retrieve information from the new .study gTLD. OUA already implements measures to protect privacy or confidential information of its users against misuse, loss, alteration and unauthorised access. Such measures include the use of Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) data encryption.

OUA will continue to apply all security measures currently implemented and will comply with all other policies and practices required by ICANN in the Registry Agreement and any relevant Consensus Policy for protecting the privacy and confidential information of registrants and users in the new .study domain space.


18(B)VI. DESCRIBE WHETHER AND IN WHAT WAYS OUTREACH AND COMMUNICATIONS WILL HELP TO ACHIEVE YOUR PROJECTED BENEFITS.

The proposed new gTLD will be publicised by a media plan to promote recognition of the new gTLD within the internet community to be a trusted site and as a sign of authenticity.

During the initial stage of the operation of the proposed new gTLD, it is anticipated that internet users may be re-directed to current websites. However, over time, it is foreseen that communication to the internet community of the existence of the proposed new gTLD and encouragement to utilise the trusted site will contribute towards minimising malicious abuses and protecting internet users.

gTLD	Full Legal Name	E-mail suffix	Detail
.cpa	CPA AUSTRALIA LTD	cpaaustralia.com.au	View

18(B)I. WHAT IS THE GOAL OF YOUR PROPOSED GTLD IN TERMS OF AREAS OF SPECIALTY, SERVICE LEVELS OR REPUTATION?

The key goals of the proposed new .cpa gTLD are in line with ICANN’s Affirmation of Commitments: to promote consumer trust, competition and consumer choice. CPA Australia also seeks to foster the community’s online reputation and provide an authoritative internet space through which CPA Australia is able to provide a community for the accountancy profession and provide consumers with improved searchability for finding CPA members, products and services. CPA Australia seeks to create a digital community of CPAs and the .cpa gTLD will promote the CPA professional identity on a global scale. The ability to create domain names on demand under the .cpa space relating to specific marketing, specialty service, including personalised domain names for members, and product development, such as program-specific sites, supports these goals. Strengthened security measures, service levels and more effective functionality will provide a trusted and positive user experience.


18(B)II. WHAT DO YOU ANTICIPATE YOUR PROPOSED GTLD WILL ADD TO THE CURRENT SPACE, IN TERMS OF COMPETITION, DIFFERENTIATION, OR INNOVATION?

It is anticipated that the proposed .cpa gTLD will make positive contributions to the wider internet community by providing:


DIFFERENTIATION (INCREASED TRUST):

The .cpa gTLD will simplify how internet users interact with CPA Australia by providing a distinctive domain space. Internet users will be able to directly navigate to the .cpa gTLD site, saving time and resources searching for an official site. The current domain name system has shown that it is vulnerable to malicious abuses due to registration of domain names which seek to exploit consumer confusion. CPA Australia can address some of these vulnerabilities by maintaining complete control over the domain names registered under the .cpa domain space. The new .cpa gTLD will strengthen global public awareness that the term “CPA” originates from CPA Australia and that Certified Practicing Accountants (“CPAs”) belong to and are regulated by that organisation, resulting in increased consumer trust that information under the .cpa domain space is provided by CPA Australia and its members. This well-defined community and the requirements that content provided under a .cpa domain name be professional and relevant to the community’s activities will ensure that users a superior online experience. Together with increased consumer trust, internet users will be able to rely on the authoritativeness of the domain names under .cpa domain space, including personalised domain names of members, which will differentiate interaction between internet users and CPA Australia.


COMPETITION:

The differentiation of .cpa gTLD as a trusted site for accountancy, finance and business advisory professions will drive existing and new TLD registry operators to make improvements in mechanisms to improve consumer trust of their TLDs. The current TLD registry operators and accountant professionals relying on the existing domain name system will be required to address and overcome some of the shortfalls of the existing system. The .cpa gTLD will drive competition with other gTLDs by providing its community with an additional and intuitive gTLD string. Internet users will be encouraged to interact with domain names under the .cpa domain space when finding local CPA members through personalised domains searches and obtaining information about CPA Australia’s products and services. As a result, the benefits of the proposed .cpa will be distributed not only to accountant professionals and its customers interacting with an industry specific gTLD, but to the internet community at large, through improved services and competitive pricing in the market place.


INNOVATION:

With the expansion of the internet community to all corners of the world, the existing TLD structure presents limitations, not only in the availability of domain names for registrants, but also to businesses and organisations establishing a coherent global online brand presence to meet their evolving business needs. It is often difficult to register a domain name in existing domain space due to unavailability of the desired name. This problem is amplified for organisations such as CPA Australia that work across many different jurisdictions and geographical markets and which compete globally to attract new accountant professionals to join their membership. Even when the desired domain name is available, it may come with a high price tag associated with a purchase of such desired name from a third party. The proposed .cpa will allow CPA Australia to create new second and third level domains, in accordance with ICANN policy, to be used in connection with the CPA Australia brand, its members and services without being restricted by third party ownership. CPA Australia has the ability to create second or third level domain names including the use of geographic names and IDNs on demand which are relevant to its members and the accountant profession as a whole, its customer base and CPA Australia’s specialised professional products and services. CPA Australia will be able to combine its use of the domain space with innovative user focused marketing and services to address the currently unmet needs in the existing domain name system.


18(B)III. WHAT GOALS DOES YOUR PROPOSED GTLD HAVE IN TERMS OF USER EXPERIENCE?

The proposed .cpa will provide a positive user experience, which meets the changing and growing needs of the CPA community as well as the global internet community. CPA Australia will maintain control in the registration and use of domain names and will ensure that the new gTLD will only be used for purposes in line with the .cpa registration policy. Therefore, the .cpa gTLD will:

- offer community members personalised second level domain names and email addresses and website hosting;

- create second and third level domains for CPA Australia’s professional programs, products and services;

- provide improved navigation and search function for users to easily find CPA Australia members, products and services;

- provide an easy and intuitive reference and access point for internet users;

- represent authenticity both in domain name registrations and in content thus promoting user confidence;

- direct internet users to relevant information in a timely manner by creating domain names on demand;

- potentially use IDNs to enable customer to interact directly in their native language;

- use geographic names to localise its CPA member websites and services to connect with community members and internet users in the relevant regions and to comply with local laws;

- enhance security and minimise security risks by implementing necessary technical and policy measures;

- strengthen brand reputation and user confidence by eliminating user confusion; and

- prevent potential abuses in the registration process reducing overall costs to the community.


CPA Australia does not intend to utilise Internationalized Domain Names (IDNs) initially. However, as the .cpa gTLD evolves, CPA Australia may use IDNs to allow internet users to engage with .cpa in their native language, creating a more positive user experience and encouraging diversity.

The new .cpa gTLD should address the concerns that the current domain name system is open to potential malicious abuse and user confusion in the registration processes. Although the current system allows an eligible party to lodge a claim through existing Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP) or other dispute resolution processes, the .cpa gTLD will reduce potential abuses in the registration processes and overall costs to internet users. User confidence in the domain name system will be strengthened, which will ultimately contribute towards promoting ICANN’s core values in benefiting the public interest.


18(B)IV. PROVIDE A COMPLETE DESCRIPTION OF THE APPLICANTʹS INTENDED REGISTRATION POLICIES IN SUPPORT OF THE GOALS LISTED ABOVE

The proposed registration policy is attached in response to Question 28.

Registrations under the .cpa gTLD will only be open, in accordance with the eligibility criteria outlined in the registration policy, to eligible registrants including:

- Full CPA members;

- Associate members currently enrolled in a CPA program;

- students currently registered in CPA Australia’s Passport program; and

- individuals are either reciprocal members of or are currently enrolled in equivalent courses through overseas accounting bodies with which CPA Australia has “Mutual Recognition Agreements”.

Potential registrants that meet the eligibility criteria will be required to provide evidence to support its eligibility, which will be regularly audited for compliance by CPA Australia.

Domain names in the .cpa gTLD must also be used in a professional manner in line with CPA Australia’s codes of conduct relevant to community members. In addition, the domain name registration processes in the proposed new gTLD will address the requirements as mandated by ICANN, including but not limited to, minimum rights abuse prevention measures such as the use of the Trademark Clearinghouse.

If registrants are found in breach of the terms and conditions in the registration policy, the registry will be able to exercise the right to suspend or cancel the registration of the domain name.


18(B)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 MEASURES.

CPA Australia is committed to the protection of privacy and confidential information in accordance with its objective of increasing consumer trust and providing a safe and legitimate internet space for internet users. Privacy and confidential information will be protected in accordance with all applicable laws and regulations relating to internet security, privacy and user’s confidential information, including the Privacy Act 1998 (Australia), National Privacy Principles (Australia), Spam Act 2003 (Australia) and Do Not Call Register Act 2006 (Australia), as well as other relevant privacy laws and regulations in countries in which CPA Australia has operations.

CPA Australia has also implemented its own privacy policy to demonstrate its commitment to the protection of user privacy and confidential information. CPA Australia takes it privacy obligations extremely seriously and is committed to protecting the privacy of members, students and customers personal information. In accordance with the above legislation, CPA Australia’s Privacy Policy regulates how CPA Australia can collect, store, use and disclose personal information. In particular, CPA Australia’s Privacy Policy provides that it will only use personal information for the following purposes:

- processing membership applications, membership renewals and managing memberships of CPA Australia;

- processing enrolment applications in the CPA Program and administering the CPA Program;

- processing requests for CPA Australia’s products and services;

- providing information on services, benefits and CPA Australia events to members;

- ensuring compliance with CPA Australiaʹs Constitution and By-Laws; and

- disclosing information, where appropriate, to:

- universities and other education providers engaged by CPA Australia for the CPA Program;

- government and regulatory bodies to assess the skills of qualified accountants and determine their eligibility to migrate to Australia for study, work and⁄or settlement;

- employers and reciprocal overseas accounting bodies;

- financial institutions for payment processing;

- members of CPA Australia committees and discussion groups; and

- CPA Australiaʹs contracted service providers.


CPA Australia will provide a publicly available and searchable WHOIS look up facility, where information about the domain name status, registrant information including administrative and technical contact details can be found in accordance with Specification 4 of the Registry Agreement. In order to prevent misuse of the WHOIS look up facility, CPA Australia will utilise measures including a requirement where any person submitting a WHOIS database query is required to read and agree to the terms and conditions in accordance with the registration policy. This will include the terms of use that the WHOIS database is provided for information purposes only and that the user agrees not to use the information for any other purposes such as allowing or enabling the transmission of unsolicited commercial advertising or other communication.

CPA Australia will deploy Domain Name System Security Extensions (DNSSEC) which is intended to benefit both CPA Australia and its users interacting with CPA Australia online. DNSSEC provides additional security by validating information in the transmission, therefore it is intended to benefit those who publish information in the domain name system (DNS) and the users who retrieve information from the new .cpa gTLD. CPA Australia already implements measures to protect privacy or confidential information of its users against misuse, loss, alteration and unauthorised access. Such measures include the use of:

- dual layer firewalls and routers;

- internal security such as port locking;

- password protection;

- encryption of sensitive data and virus protection;

- Virtual Private Network (VPN); and

- business continuity⁄disaster recover offsite and tested annually.


CPA Australia will continue to apply all security measures currently implemented and will comply with all other policies and practices required by ICANN in the Registry Agreement and any relevant Consensus Policy for protecting the privacy and confidential information of registrants and users in the new .cpa domain space.


18(B)VI. DESCRIBE WHETHER AND IN WHAT WAYS OUTREACH AND COMMUNICATIONS WILL HELP TO ACHIEVE YOUR PROJECTED BENEFITS.

The proposed new gTLD will be publicised by a media plan to promote recognition of the new .cpa gTLD within the internet community to be a trusted online space operated for the benefit of the CPA Australia community and as a sign of authenticity.
CPA Australia’s overall marketing spend per annum is approximately AUD20 million per annum, in which the .cpa gTLD will be included. The plan is to attach the .cpa gTLD into everything CPA Australia does, including:

- mass market advertising – broadcast, print and outdoor media (for example, billboards and metrolites);

- all member-based marketing – using direct marketing, electronic direct marketing (eDMs) and CPA Update;

- website and online media;

- magazines and publications published by CPA Australia– INTHEBLACK, INPRACTICE and Real Business


All marketing touch points for CPA Australia would include the .cpa gTLD. CPA Australia intends to use .cpa:

- itself as a marketing tool – using the gTLD across all media as a key fulfilment mechanism;

- as a means of marketing and supplying our services to members and the online and general public; and

- to direct our members to register their own .cpa domain name to market their own accounting practices⁄services.


During the initial stage of the operation of the proposed new gTLD, it is anticipated that internet users will be re-directed to current websites. However, over time, it is foreseen that communication to the internet community of the existence of the proposed new gTLD and encouragement to utilise the trusted site will contribute towards minimising malicious abuses and protecting internet users.