Description of TLD Policies

[For sponsored TLDs, this part of the application is to be completed by the sponsoring organization. For unsponsored TLDs, the registry operator should complete this part of the application. Please refer to the Detailed Application Instructions for more information on the requirements for new TLD applications.

The operation of a TLD involves the implementation of policies on a very large number of topics. Applicants are urged to use their response to this part of the application to demonstrate their detailed knowledge of what topics are involved and their careful analysis and clear articulation of the policies they propose on these topics.

Please place the legend "CONFIDENTIAL" on any part of your description that you have listed in item F3.1 of your Statement of Requested Confidential Treatment of Materials Submitted.

Section III of this application applies only to applicants for restricted TLDs. Ordinarily, restricted TLDs should be sponsored.]

I. GENERAL TLD POLICIES (Required for all TLDs. Note that two special policy areas--policies during the start-up period and restrictions on who may register within the TLD and for what purpose--are covered in sections II and III below.)

E1. In General. Please provide a full and detailed description of all policies to be followed in the TLD (other than those covered in response to items E11-E21). If the TLD's policy on a particular topic is proposed to be identical to that reflected by a particular version of any of the following documents, it is sufficient for your response to identify the topic, to give a brief summary of the policy, and for the details to reference the document and section:

•	ICANN Registrar Accreditation Agreement

•	NSI Registrar License and Agreement

•	ICANN-NSI Registry Agreement

•	Uniform Dispute Resolution Policy

Your response should comprehensively describe policies on all topics to be followed in connection with the proposed TLD. The following items (E2-E10) are examples only and should not limit your description.

E2. TLD String. Please identify the TLD string(s) you are proposing. For format requirements for TLD strings, see the answer to FAQ #5.

E3. Naming conventions. Describe the naming conventions and structure within the TLD. E.g., 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.travel.com)?

E4. Registrars. Describe in detail the policies for selection of, and competition among, registrars. Will domain-name holders deal through registrars, directly with the registry operator, or some combination of the two? What are the respective roles, functions, and responsibilities for the registry operator and registrars? If registrars are to be employed, how and by whom will they be selected or accredited? If the number of registrars will be restricted, what number of registrars will be selected? Have the qualifying registrars already been selected? On what basis will selections among those seeking to be registrars be made, and who will make them? If registrars are to be used, what mechanisms will be used to ensure that TLD policies are implemented?

E5. Intellectual Property Provisions. Describe the policies for protection of intellectual property. Your response should address at least the following questions, as appropriate to the TLD:

E5.1. What measures will be taken to discourage registration of domain names that infringe intellectual property rights?

E5.2. If you are proposing pre-screening for potentially infringing registrations, how will the pre-screening be performed?

E5.3. What registration practices will be employed to minimize abusive registrations?

E5.4. What measures do you propose to comply with applicable trademark and anti-cybersquatting legislation?

E5.5. Are you proposing any special protections (other than during the start-up period) for famous trademarks?

E5.6. How will complete, up-to-date, reliable, and conveniently provided Whois data be maintained, updated, and accessed concerning registrations in the TLD?

E6. Dispute Resolution. Describe the policies for domain name and other dispute resolution. If you are proposing variations to the policies followed in .com, .net, and .org, consider the following questions:

E6.1. To what extent are you proposing to implement the Uniform Dispute Resolution Policy?

E6.2. Please describe any additional, alternative, or supplemental dispute resolution procedures you are proposing.

E7. Data Privacy, Escrow, and Whois. Describe the proposed policies on data privacy, escrow and Whois service.

E8. Billing and Collection. Describe variations in or additions to the policies for billing and collection.

E9. Services and Pricing. What registration services do you propose to establish charges for and, for each such service, how much do you propose to charge?

E10. Other. Please describe any policies concerning topics not covered by the above questions.

II. REGISTRATION POLICIES DURING THE START-UP PERIOD (Required for all TLDs)

E11. In this section, you should thoroughly describe all policies (including implementation details) that you propose to follow during the start-up phase of registrations in the TLD, to the extent they differ from the General TLD Policies covered in items E1-E9. The following questions highlight some of the areas that should be considered for start-up policies:

E12. How do you propose to address the potential rush for registration at the initial opening of the TLD? How many requested registrations do you project will be received by the registry operator within the first day, week, month, and quarter? What period do you believe should be considered the TLD's "start-up period," during which special procedures should apply?

E13. Do you propose to place limits on the number of registrations per registrant? Per registrar? If so, how will these limits be implemented?

E14. Will pricing mechanisms be used to dampen a rush for registration at the initial opening of the TLD? If so, please describe these mechanisms in detail.

E15. Will you offer any "sunrise period" in which certain potential registrants are offered the opportunity to register before registration is open to the general public? If so, to whom will this opportunity be offered (those with famous marks, registered trademarks, second-level domains in other TLDs, pre-registrations of some sort, etc.)? How will you implement this?

III. REGISTRATION RESTRICTIONS (Required for restricted TLDs only)

E16. As noted in the New TLD Application Process Overview, a restricted TLD is one with enforced restrictions on (1) who may apply for a registration within the domain, (2) what uses may be made of those registrations, or (3) both. In this section, please describe in detail the restrictions you propose to apply to the TLD. Your description should should define the criteria to be employed, the manner in which you propose they be enforced, and the consequences of violation of the restrictions. Examples of matters that should be addressed are:

E17. Describe in detail the criteria for registration in the TLD. Provide a full explanation of the reasoning behind the specific policies chosen.

E18. Describe the application process for potential registrants in the TLD.

E19. Describe the enforcement procedures and mechanisms for ensuring registrants meet the registration requirements.

E20. Describe any appeal process from denial of registration.

E21. Describe any procedure that permits third parties to seek cancellation of a TLD registration for failure to comply with restrictions.

IV. CONTEXT OF THE TLD WITHIN THE DNS (Required for all TLDs)

E22. This section is intended to allow you to describe the benefits of the TLD and the reasons why it would benefit the global Internet community or some segment of that community. Issues you might consider addressing include:

E23. What will distinguish the TLD from existing or other proposed TLDs? How will this distinction be beneficial?

E24. What community and/or market will be served or targeted by this TLD? To what extent is that community or market already served by the DNS?

E25. Please describe in detail how your proposal would enable the DNS to meet presently unmet needs.

E26. How would the introduction of the TLD enhance the utility of the DNS for Internet users? For the community served by the TLD?

E27. How would the proposed TLD enhance competition in domain-name registration services, including competition with existing TLD registries?

V. VALUE OF PROPOSAL AS A PROOF OF CONCEPT (Required for all TLDs)

E28. Recent experience in the introduction of new TLDs is limited in some respects. The current program of establishing new TLDs is intended to allow evaluation of possible additions and enhancements to the DNS and possible methods of implementing them. Stated differently, the current program is intended to serve as a "proof of concept" for ways in which the DNS might evolve in the longer term. This section of the application is designed to gather information regarding what specific concept(s) could be evaluated if the proposed TLD is introduced, how you propose the evaluation should be done, and what information would be learned that might be instructive in the long-term management of the DNS. Well-considered and articulated responses to this section will be positively viewed in the selection process. Matters you should discuss in this section include:

E29. What concepts are likely to be proved/disproved by evaluation of the introduction of this TLD in the manner you propose?

E30. How do you propose that the results of the introduction should be evaluated? By what criteria should the success or lack of success of the TLD be evaluated?

E31. In what way would the results of the evaluation assist in the long-range management of the DNS?

E32. Are there any reasons other than evaluation of the introduction process that this particular TLD should be included in the initial introduction?

By signing this application through its representative, the Applicant attests that the information contained in this Description of TLD Policies, and all referenced supporting documents, are true and accurate to the best of Applicant's knowledge.

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(c) 2000 The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers

All rights reserved.

Updated August 15, 2000