gTLD	Full Legal Name	E-mail suffix	Detail
.微博	Tencent Holdings Limited	tencent.com	View

THE MISSION AND PURPOSE OF THE NEW RESTRICTED .微博 (IDN .WEIBO) gTLD IS TO FACILITATE COMMUNICATION BETWEEN INTERNET USERS AND TO ENCOURAGE THE DEVELOPMENT OF CIVIL SOCIETY INTERNET COMMUNITIES THROUGH GREATER INNOVATION CAPABILITIES, THE PROVISION OF BETTER SERVICES AND GREATER CONVENIENCE FOR END USERS.

The .微博 (IDN .weibo) gTLD will create a new generation gTLD serving the interests of end users by enabling internet users to better communicate with each other and the world, utilising its micro-blogging functionality. Domain names will be available to individuals, organisations in the private sector as well as public sector enterprises. Through the use of personalised domain names, internet users will be able to easily connect with individuals, organisations and businesses to access relevant information. As such, Tencent Holdings Limited (Tencent) intends to utilise the new gTLD to allow people to communicate easier through its micro-blogging platform, enable business enterprises and celebrities to build communication channels with customers and fans. The registration policy will ensure that domains of public influence or pertaining to serious matters are protected and are not transferred. The creation of the .微博 (IDN .weibo) gTLD will allow for a more convenient and unified name structure, enabling the provision of better services to end users.

Tencent was established in November 1998 and has grown into one of China’s largest and most used internet service portals. Tencent provides value-added internet, mobile and telecommunication services and online advertising. Its leading internet platforms have brought together China’s largest internet community, for example it has 711.7 million users with accounts for Tencent’s instant messenger program, QQ. Such internet platforms are designed to meet the various needs of internet users including communication, information, entertainment, and e-commerce. Tencent was listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in 2004 and reached a market value of over HKD$100 billion in 2007.

Tencent Weibo is a micro-blogging site with about 310 million users, about 50 million of which are active daily users. Tencent Weibo allows anyone to freely share immediate news, through text and pictures with other internet users, including friends and family. Tencent Weibo also allows its users to find information and updates from influential public figures such as actors, sports people or public officials. Tencent has offered internet services since 1998 and weibo services since 2010, and as such has strong internet operations experience and a large user base which will benefit from the new .weibo gTLD. Building consumer trust and continuous innovation are paramount considerations for Tencent. The new .微博 (IDN .weibo) gTLD will promote and strengthen the Tencent Weibo services. These objectives will be further complemented by Tencent’s application for .weibo. Tencent is one of the pioneers of internet services, and in particular has a strong reputation for the provision of its Weibo services to its Chinese speaking users, in China, greater Asia and around the world. It is also engaging the English speaking world, as is reflected in its registration of .weibo and .微博 (IDN .weibo).

Tencent intends to use the .微博 (IDN .weibo) gTLD to allow for more convenient and innovative communication between users of Tencent’s Weibo micro-blogging site. In order to avoid user confusion, Tencent intends to reserve names that are of public influence or considered serious in nature, such as the names of celebrities, politicians, geographic names, government structures and well-known companies (Public interest domain names). If such people or organisations wish to use the domain name, an appropriate verification process, in accordance with the registration policy, ensuring necessary identification will be undertaken. The verification process will ensure accuracy in the assignment of the .微博 (IDN .weibo) domain name. The verified names will be clearly labelled as such. This will ensure the user of the domain name accurately corresponds to the actual physical individual or entity the name represents. Use of such domains will be continually reviewed to ensure that they reflect the public interest considerations. All use of domain name in the .微博 (IDN .weibo) gTLD will require Tencent’s authorization and approval through a licensing mechanism.

Tencent’s mission and purpose of the proposed new gTLD share ICANN’s initiatives to promote public interest. Tencent is committed to contribute towards achieving such initiatives in line with ICANN’s Affirmation of Commitments, which includes:

- consumer trust: the .微博 (IDN .weibo) gTLD registry will be operated in a centralised manner with registration of public interest names undergoing a thorough verification process to ensure the authenticity of the name. As .微博 (IDN .weibo) domain names are subject to registration standards, policies and procedures under Tencent’s control, this eliminates the possibility of malicious conduct within the .微博 (IDN .weibo) domain space;

- competition: the proposed new gTLD is anticipated to contribute to ICANN’s initiatives to promote public interest and competition through its operation focussed on promoting consumer trust. Increased trust in the .微博 (IDN .weibo) gTLD will drive existing and new top level domain (TLD) registry operators to make improvements in mechanisms to improve consumer trust of their TLDs; and

- consumer choice: the proposed new gTLD will enable user-driven improvements and innovations assisting Tencent’s marketing efforts through its ability to create new second level domain names on demand. These names will provide the consumers with more choices for interacting online. As Tencent has effective control over the registration and use of domain names under the.微博 (IDN .weibo) domain space, this will also contribute towards general service innovations on the internet.


Given the existing customer base of Tencent’s Weibo services, the projected number of registrations under the .微博 (IDN .weibo) gTLD is likely to be up to 50,000 in the first year. It is anticipated that this may rise to 250,000 by the third year. The projected registration numbers are supported by the financial, technical and operational capacity of Tencent to act as a registry operator for this gTLD. In this endeavour, Tencent will continue to comply with all operational, technical and policy requirements, as well as maintaining consumer trust and the stability of the internet. Tencent will keep ICANN reasonably informed of any material developments relating to the .微博 (IDN .weibo) gTLD including compliance with the continued operations instrument obligations as set out in Specification 8 of the Registry Agreement.

The types of domain names currently foreseen would include product, services or geographic names, as well as names for individuals and businesses. In accordance with the registration policy and the proposed measures for protection of geographic names as outlined in response to Question 22, Tencent will use geographic names to localise its websites within China. 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 national territory.


Tencent will also utilise Internationalized Domain Names (IDNs) at the second level, initially limited to Chinese. The use of IDNs will allow internet users to engage with .微博 (IDN .weibo) in their native language, creating a more positive user experience and encouraging diversity. As the use of the .微博 (IDN .weibo) gTLD evolves, it is anticipated that the use of IDNs, including additional languages, will increase within the .微博 (IDN .weibo) domain space.

gTLD	Full Legal Name	E-mail suffix	Detail
.banque	GEXBAN SAS	gexban.net	View

THE MISSION AND PURPOSE OF THE NEW .APP gTLD IS TO BENEFIT THE COMMUNITY OF INDEPENDENT SOFTWARE APPLICATION (APP) DEVELOPERS AND PUBLISHERS, AND INTERNET USERS, BY CREATING AN INNOVATIVE DOMAIN SPACE WHICH PROVIDES FAIR AND OPEN ACCESS TO DESIRED DOMAIN NAMES FOR APPS.

The .app gTLD will create a new generation gTLD serving the interests of the community of independent app developers and publishers, consumers and internet users. TRI Ventures, Inc. (TRI Ventures) intends to create an innovative, fair and open .app domain space under which app developers and publishers can register their desired domain names and provide information and services regarding a wide range of published apps to internet users. TRI Ventures intends to offer domain names to the community of independent app developers and publishers to allow them to gain access to appropriate domain names for their published apps. The new user-friendly .app gTLD will provide an intuitive, easy to use, central location for internet users and consumers to discover new apps and find information about a large library of published apps.

Registrations for domain names under the .app gTLD will be available to the community of independent app developers and publishers. This will ensure that the .app gTLD provides a relevant domain space where the app development and publishing industry can develop websites that provide reliable information related to their app. App publishers that register .app domain names will enjoy the benefit of being part of a global online app community to connect with app users and other developers. Internet users will be able to easily access memorable second level domain names under the .app gTLD to find desired information about a wide range of apps.

TRI Ventures is a diverse private company that operates in a variety of markets, including marketing and design staffing solutions under the Aquent brand name. Since its formation in 1986, Aquent has grown to become a multinational talent agency with offices around the world. TRI Ventures was an early investor in Angie’s List, Inc. and remains a large shareholder after its IPO. In addition, TRI Ventures owns litl, a start-up company that focuses on creating hardware, software and apps. Litl has a number of apps in Apple and Android app stores. In this regard, continuous innovation and providing a high quality of service are of greatest importance for all of our business endeavours. The new .app gTLD will provide a valuable service to the community of independent app developers and publishers to easily acquire and expand naming options for their apps. The .app gTLD will provide open and fair access to app developers to register appropriate domain names under .app and provide a central, intuitive online location for consumers and internet users to find information about, search for and discover exciting new apps.

Since the inception of the current domain name system, business activities conducted on the internet are constantly changing and evolving with increased complexity. The volume of commercial transactions over the internet is constantly growing and bringing benefits of simplicity and lowered transaction costs to businesses and consumers. However, at the same time, criminal activities over the internet including data breach, hacking and phishing activities have also become more sophisticated resulting in loss of consumer confidence beyond mere monetary harm. The .app gTLD will foster greater trust and assurance from internet users connecting with app publishers online, whilst still allowing convenient and efficient interaction.

TRI Ventures’ mission and purpose of the gTLD share ICANN’s initiatives to promote public interest. TRI Ventures is committed to contribute towards achieving such initiatives in line with ICANN’s Affirmation of Commitments, which includes:

- CONSUMER TRUST: .app will only allow entities and persons with an interest in software applications (apps), who meet the eligibility requirements, to register domain names under the .app gTLD, as specified in the registration policy. The .app gTLD will create a globally recognisable, central location for app publishers, which will result in consumer trust and confidence in information and services provided under the .app domain space. As .app domain names are subject to registration standards, policies and procedures under TRI Ventures’ control, this limits the possibility of malicious conduct within .app;

- COMPETITION: the .app gTLD is intended to promote competition and consumer choice among prospective registrants in the app development and publishing industry, who will have a choice of gTLDs with which to register. The .app gTLD provides a competitive alternative to current TLDs by offering fair, open and easily accessible registrations under the .app domain space; and

- CONSUMER CHOICE: the new gTLD will enable user-driven improvements and innovations, with specific relevance to the app development industry and related services, with second and third level domains to be registered by app developers and publishers. This will allow consumers more choice for interacting with the app development industry, as well as encouraging competition between app developers to interact with consumers in a user-friendly manner. As TRI Ventures will put in place an appropriate policy for the registration and use of domain names under .app, this will also contribute towards general service innovations on the internet.


The projected number of registrations in the .app gTLD is likely to be around 26,000 domain names in the first year. However, over the next three years, the number of registrations is likely to increase to about 44,000 domain names as global recognition of the .app gTLD increases and as TRI Ventures implements new services and marketing campaigns.

As the new .app gTLD expands and evolves, TRI Ventures will continue to comply with all operational, technical and policy requirements, as well as maintaining consumer trust and the stability of the internet. TRI Ventures will keep ICANN reasonably informed of any material developments relating to .app gTLD including compliance with the continued operations instrument obligations as set out in Specification 8 of the Registry Agreement.

“App” is a generic term used to describe software applications, and as such, Tri Ventures believes that it should not be trademarked or controlled by a self-interested corporation or entity. TRI Ventures believes that a neutral third party should create and operate the .app domain space for the benefit of the app development and publishing community by offering fair, open and easy access to newly available and appropriate domain names related to their apps.