ICANN|ARCHIVES

Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers

Part A. Explanatory Notes | Part B. Application Form | Part C. Business Plan | Part D. Financial Model | Part E. Technical Specification | Part F. Application Checklist

 

Name and Address fields

Provide your full legal name, principal address, telephone and fax numbers, and e-mail address of the sponsoring organization. Additionally, you will need to provide your Application Fee Receipt Number. If you Sponsoring Organization is not yet formed, every one of the persons proposed to be directors and officers of the organization should be included in the section below for Initial Directors, Officers and other Staff.

Sponsoring Organization Information

The purpose of this section is to describe the motivation for the proposed new sTLD and expected sTLD Community. It also enables applicants to provide background and an overview of the Sponsoring Organization, the proposed policy-making methodology and the requested delegation of policy authority from ICANN.

Namestrings and Conventions

Choice 1 | Choice 2 | Choice 3

Please identify the TLD string(s) you are proposing. You may propose up to three related strings to be ranked in the order of preference. Along with each string, describe the naming conventions and structure within the TLD. For example, will registrants have names registered at the second level (directly under the TLD, as in registered-name.com), or will the TLD be organized with sub-domains so that registered domain names are created at a lower level (as in registered-name.widget.com)?

Sponsoring Organization Structure

Although applicants that have not yet formed the sponsoring organization may not be in a position to provide as much detail as those who have, every effort should be made to provide as much detail as possible. The ability for the evaluators to understand the proposed sponsoring organization is critical in the evaluation of the Sponsoring Organization and structure.

Provide a description of the structure and nature of the Sponsoring Organization and the manner in which that organization will conduct its operations, including policy-formulation activities.

Provide a brief description of the functions and mission of the organization, definition of community to be served, method of ensuring operation in the interest of the stakeholders of the community to be served and the Internet at large.

Appropriateness of Sponsored TLD Community

Please provide detail on the community to be served and explain why the defined community to be served is appropriate for the creation of an sTLD.

Representation

Describe the way in which the organization will represent and take input from the community to be served, and the categories of stakeholders or constituents to be included in the organization.

Openness and Transparency

Describe the way in which the Sponsoring Organization will promote openness and transparency, access to information, web site use, public posting of information, meeting minutes, notice and comment provisions.

Initial Directors, Officers and other Staff

If known, provide the names and qualifications of the initial directors, officers and staff of the Sponsoring Organization.

Selection of Directors, Officers, Members, Staff

Describe the eligibility, method of selection, term of service, compensation, conflicts of interest, resignation, removal, vacancies.

Meetings and Communication

Describe the proposed frequency and location of meetings, provisions for telephone meetings and other methods of communication, responsibility for generation and distribution of meeting minutes.

Fiscal Information

Provide an overview of the organization describing numbers of staff, annual revenue and costs and existing capital.

Indemnification from Liability

Provide an overview of the limitation on liability of the organization, directors, officers, and staff, as applicable.

Proposed Extent of Policy-Making Authority

Please list and describe in detail the areas over which a delegation of policy-formulation authority is sought, including the scope of authority, the reasons/justifications for seeking authority, the method of guaranteeing that the organization will administer the policy in the interest of the Internet at large, the means for ensuring opportunity for members of the Sponsored TLD Community to discuss and participate in such policy formulation, the creation of procedures for facilitating participation by a broad cross-section of the Sponsored TLD Community and whether variation from existing ICANN policies is intended.

Policy-Making Process

Provide an outline of the process for formulating policies for the TLD, including a detailed description of the requirements for adoption of different types of policy. Provide any proposed policies or procedures for allowing reconsideration and review of proposed or adopted policy or implementation decisions.

Applicants should be prepared to submit the following documents later in the evaluation process:

• Articles or certificate of incorporation, organization, association,
• Bylaws or any similar organizational document or agreement between or among the organization and its shareholders or members,
• Principal location, legal status of the organization, laws under which it is organized, type of organization,
• List of persons presently on the supervising board of directors of the organization, or, if the organization is a subsidiary, those persons on the supervising board of directors of the ultimate parent company (or to be initially on the board of directors),
• Size of organization, roles/duties of directors and officers and other staff, supporting and/or contributing organizations, affiliates, membership, and;
• Biographical information and background information for present or proposed board members.

A. Add new value to the Internet name space

The Selection Criteria require that applicants demonstrate that they are adding value to the broader Internet community. In the following section, applicants must demonstrate how they will respond to the Community Value selection criteria.

Applicants must demonstrate the value that would be added to the Internet name space by launching their proposed sTLD by considering the following objectives:

• Name value
• Enhanced diversity of the Internet name space
• Reach and enrich broad global communities

B. Protect the rights of others

Applicants should describe how their proposal will create policies and practices that minimize abusive registration activities and other activities that affect the legal rights of others. Describe how the proposal will implement safeguards against allowing unqualified registrations and ensure compliance with other ICANN policies designed to protect the rights of others.

C. Assurance of charter-compliant registrations and avoidance of abusive registration practices

Applicants must show that they will implement safeguards to ensure that non-compliant applicants cannot register domain names. Applicants need to demonstrate that their proposal addresses and includes precise measures that:

• Discourage registration of domain names that infringe intellectual property rights;
• Ensure that only charter-compliant persons or entities (that is, members of the Sponsored TLD Community are able to register domain names in the proposed new sTLD);
• Consider a reservation list of names to prevent inappropriate name registrations;
• Minimize abusive registrations;
• Comply with applicable trademark and anti-cybersquatting legislation; and
• Provide protections (other than exceptions that may be applicable during the start-up period) for famous names and trademarks.

D. Assurance of adequate dispute-resolution mechanisms

All gTLDs are expected to adhere to the ICANN Uniform Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP). Particular dispute resolution mechanisms may be implemented to support particular situations, such as priority of acceptance of applicants in competition for the same name during start-up periods.

Applicants need to demonstrate that their proposal will:

• Implement the ICANN UDRP; and
• Where applicable, supplement the UDRP with policies or procedures that apply to the particular situations of the sTLD.

E. Provision of ICANN-policy compliant WHOIS service

All gTLDs must provide accessible WHOIS database services to provide legitimate information on registrants for purposes that are in compliance with ICANN policies. Applicants should provide an explanation of how they plan for a complete, up-to-date, reliable, and conveniently accessible WHOIS database of all registrations in the sTLD, compliant with ICANN policies. Such implementations will need to comply with emerging ICANN privacy policies in this area, if and when they become approved.

When you complete this application and finalise it for sending to ICANN, you will need to confirm the following:

By checking this box, the person identified certifies that (a) he or she has full authority to make this application on behalf of the applicant and to make and fulfill all agreements, representations, waivers, and undertakings stated in this transmittal form and accompanying materials; copies of the documents demonstrating this authority are attached and (b) all information contained in this application transmittal form and accompanying documents is true, accurate and complete to the best of the person's and the applicant's knowledge and information. The undersigned acknowledges on his or her own behalf and that of the applicant that any material misstatement or misrepresentation (or omission of material information) will reflect negatively on any application.

By checking this box, the applicant acknowledges that there are six parts of the Request for Proposal Application process which have been thoroughly reviewed and considered in their entirety by the applicant. The applicant (or, if there are multiple applicants, each applicant) understands that failure to fully follow instructions or the requirements set forth for each of the documents transmitted with this Application Form will be a factor negatively affecting consideration of this application.

By checking this box, the applicant (or, if there are multiple applicants, each applicant) hereby authorizes ICANN to:

• contact any person, group, or entity to request, obtain, and discuss any documentation or other information that, in ICANN's sole judgment, may be pertinent to this application;
• take any other steps to verify, elaborate on, supplement, analyze, assess, investigate, or otherwise evaluate the information contained in this application or other information that, in ICANN's sole judgment, may be pertinent to this application; and
• consult with persons of ICANN's choosing regarding the information in this application or otherwise coming into ICANN's possession.

By checking this box the applicant (or, if there are multiple applicants, each applicant) understands that difficulties encountered by ICANN in verifying, elaborating on, supplementing, analyzing, assessing, investigating, or otherwise evaluating any aspect within or related to this application may reflect negatively on the application. In consideration of the review of the application conducted on behalf of ICANN, the applicant (or, if there are multiple applicants, each applicant) hereby waives liability on the part of ICANN (including its officers, directors, employees, consultants, attorneys evaluators, attorneys, accountants, and agents, hereinafter jointly referred to as "ICANN Affiliated Parties") for its (or their) actions or inaction in verifying the information provided in this application or in conducting any other aspect of its (or their) evaluation of this application. The applicant (or, if there are multiple applicants, each applicant) further waives liability and formally agrees to fully indemnify ICANN and the ICANN Affiliated Paties on the part of any third parties who provide information to ICANN or ICANN Affiliated Parties in connection with the application.

By checking this box the applicant (or, if there are multiple applicants, each applicant) hereby authorizes ICANN and ICANN Affiliated Parties to publish on ICANN's web site, and to disclose or publicize in any other manner, any materials submitted to, or obtained or generated by, ICANN and the ICANN Affiliated Parties in connection with the application, including ICANN's (or their) evaluations and analyses in connection with the application or ICANN's investigation or evaluation of the application. The applicant(s) shall have obtained permission for the posting of any personally identifying information included in the application materials, provided that no personally identifying information other than a person’s name, current and past employment history, job related and professional activities should be included within the application materials. The applicant understands and acknowledges that ICANN does not and will not agree to keep any portion of the application or materials submitted with the application confidential. The applicant (or, if there are multiple applicants, each applicant) grants ICANN and ICANN Affiliated Parties a license to use any copyright or other intellectual property that applicant may have in any portion of the application for this purpose.

By checking this box the applicant (or, if there are multiple applicants, each applicant) hereby gives ICANN permission to use the applicant's name, descriptive materials and/or logo in ICANN's public announcements (including informational web pages) relating to top-level domain space expansion.

The applicant agrees that the Sponsoring Organization information, certified by the undersigned (a) that he or she has authority to do so on behalf of the Sponsoring Organization and, on his or her own behalf and on behalf of the Sponsoring Organization, (b) that all information contained in this proposal is true and accurate to the best of its knowledge and information. The applicant understands that any material misstatement or misrepresentation (or omission of material information) will reflect negatively on any application of which this proposal is a part and may cause cancellation of any delegation of a top-level domain based on such an application.