18(b) How do you expect that your proposed gTLD will benefit registrants, Internet users, and others?

Prototypical answer:

i. The Applicant started as a harness and saddle workshop in Paris, founded by Mr. Thierry Hermès in 1837. La Maison Hermès quickly became successful with an elite cosmopolitan clientele in Europe, North Africa, Russia, the Americas and Asia. The Applicant has diversified its HERMES brand and is not only known for its wide range of luxury leather goods, but also for its collection of scarves, ties, perfumes, watches, etc. The Applicant still operates under the name HERMES as its business name. HERMES now is Applicant’s most recognized brand, having worldwide exposure, and a truly international clientele. The proposed gTLD aims at consolidating the reputation of the Applicant’s business name and brand on the Internet, in the spirit of the unique identity of La Maison Hermès;

ii. From the Applicant’s perspective, .HERMES will bring a high degree of recognition and specialization to the currently existing name space. Where in most cases the specific connotation that has been initially given to the gTLDs (or even ccTLDs) has disappeared, the .HERMES top-level domain will be unambiguous as regards the identity of the Registry Operator, the source of the content and services offered under the .HERMES and⁄or the affiliation between the Registry Operator and the TLD;

iii. As mentioned in the vision ⁄ mission statement before, some of the key reasons why Applicant is applying for .HERMES are:
1. Marketing and branding: reflect the Applicant’s key brand HERMES at the top-level of the DNS’ hierarchy,
2. Safety and security, given the fact that the TLD and most if not all of the domain names registered therein will be completely or at least partially under the control of the Registry Operator;
3. Affiliation between the core HERMES brand and the hundreds of product brands registered and⁄or used by HERMES INTERNATIONAL and⁄or its subsidiaries in their day-to-day business;
4. The possibility to find new means in the Applicant’s combat against counterfeit;

iv. The Applicant intends to implement the following policies and procedures with respect to the registration of domain names in the .HERMES top-level domain include but are not limited to:
1. Reservation of domain names in the name of the Applicant. These names include:
a) descriptive names, referring to the actual day-to-day business activities of the Applicant and⁄or its subsidiaries;
b) descriptive names, referring to the internal departments of the Applicant;
c) descriptive names, referring to the subsidiaries of the Applicant;
d) product and service brands promoted by the Applicant and⁄or its subsidiaries now and in the future;
e) etc.

2. Launch of the TLD:
a) Sunrise : allow physical persons, organizations and entities that meet the eligibility requirements in force at that point in time to choose the domain names that are identical to their trademarks;
b) General availability: other available domain names may be registered by physical persons, organizations and entities that meet the eligibility requirements in force at that point in time to choose the domain names in accordance with the applicable terms and conditions.
c) Depending on the terms and conditions in force at the time of launch of the TLD, these domain names may or may not be registered in the name of the applicant for the domain name or in the name of the Applicant for the TLD (HERMES INTERNATIONAL). In any case, the Applicant reserves the right to impose additional and other restrictions from time to time at its sole discretion;

v. Given the fact that the Applicant is a company that is established in France, it is subject to both national and European privacy and data protection rules and practices.

vi. The Applicant is a corporation that has been established in and has been trading under the HERMES brand and domain name (hermes.com) since for various decades. Since, the Applicant became highly reputed worldwide in the métiers of luxury goods, including leather goods, luggage and handbags, clothing and perfumes. Therefore, the Applicant has different ways in order to make existing and future clients, visitors and stakeholders aware of the (gradual) move from its HERMES.com domain name to the .HERMES TLD, including but not limited to:
1. Internet advertising campaigns;
2. having Internet traffic to its key domain names resolving into domain names registered in the .HERMES TLD;
3. email marketing campaigns;
4. marketing campaigns in fashion magazines and other, etc.

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