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

Prototypical answer:

Implementation of a .style TLD will allow the Internet’s top level to develop in a fresh and exciting way. We have followed and participated in the creation of the New gTLD Program, and are excited about all of its possibilities. We do believe, however, that many of the new extensions will be targeting the same areas of commerce that are already being served, albeit very generically, by current TLDs. Thus, .style will be a unique option that matches the trendy, contemporary vibe that many of the Internet’s most savvy innovators have cultivated. It also creates a space for those that are involved in creating the latest non-Internet trends, such as fashion designers, interior designers, architects, industrial designers, and street photographers. It will benefit all Internet users by creating a new, creative hub within the Internet’s root zone. We believe that this unique activity on the .style TLD will make it a far more fashionable TLD option than anything that is currently available and will help it become one of the most popular new gTLD options for those that are looking for modern, progressive differentiation.

i.) What is the goal of your proposed gTLD in terms of areas of specialty, service levels, or reputation?
It is our expectation that .style will be primarily used by contemporary style professionals and enthusiasts. Given the wide range of what can be considered “style” or “stylish,” we do not intend to limit the gTLD to a specific community within the international scene. We believe that “style” is a widely understood word and concept, and that the average Internet user will understand that the content of a .style domain will be geared towards the expression and discussion of historical and contemporary tastes.

We hope to create an esteemed reputation throughout the various parts of the style world by garnering the support of prominent international fashion houses, design schools, stylists, style bloggers and commentators, and other cultural institutions involved in the production, dissemination, or appreciation of historical or contemporary style. This will be done both before and after our launch and as an aspect of a comprehensive marketing strategy. By securing endorsements from these organizations and individuals, and by getting them to create an online presence in the .style TLD, we hope to solidify a positive and recognizable reputation as the best TLD option for those involved in progressive aesthetic production and appreciation. However, we firmly believe that while these endorsements may help our marketing efforts, what ultimately matters most is the reputation created throughout the whole of the many industries involved in style, and not with specific well-known members. Thus, we will focus on creating a safe and secure space that is targeted at all relevant users and not some sections thereof; we believe that pursuing this bottom-up model is not only in the best interest of the productive development of the .style TLD, but that it further underscores the importance of the bottom-up, multi-stakeholder model of Internet governance.


ii.) What do you anticipate your proposed gTLD will add to the current space, in terms of areas of competition, differentiation, or innovation?

Implementing .style into the root zone is not only necessary due to the scarcity of desirable domains in the Internet’s most prominent TLDs, but further necessitated by the size and diversity of international style industries. The progressive style vibe is not found in any of the current gTLDs. Furthermore, style is not necessarily a “commercial,” “organized,” “informational,” or “business” endeavour. Also, given that style and stylists often transcend national boundaries, it does not fit well into the purview of ccTLDs. The .style TLD will provide a competitive alternative for those with the primary interest of making or appreciating style; these companies and individuals will no longer have to choose a domain due to necessity and constraint but will have the chance to create a meaningful association between their domain name and its style-related content. We also believe that a .style TLD will provide a fashionable space for Internet innovators, and innovators from other industries, to create progressive companies, content, and applications. We hope to create a more densely vibrant and creatively populated TLD than any current TLD or any TLD to be launched via ICANN’s New gTLD Program.

This does not mean we expect that all of the Internet’s new or emerging style-centric sites will want to move to a .style extension. Many stylists and individuals may think that their commercial business is better served by .com, or that their non-profit is at home in .org. Consequently, by adding a .style to the root zone, ICANN will be improving existing TLDs by allowing them to become more focused on their intended significance, while simultaneously providing a differentiated and specific extension for those who identify first with being contemporary taste-makers.This will certainly facilitate more TLD competition, and allow the current offerings to become significantly more differentiated than they currently are.

iii.) What goals does your proposed gTLD have in terms of user experience?

Top Level Design, LLC believes the .style extension, though broadly defined by the wide spectrum of what constitutes style, is largely self-explanatory and its content is readily apparent to both potential registrants and end-consumers. We hope that the Internet experience of both types of users will therefore be enhanced and simplified by the implementation of .style into the root zone. Registrants will have the opportunity to clearly, and we hope proudly, identify themselves as an stylist or style enthusiast in a distinctive manner. Internet users browsing and using sites with a .style extension will be confident that the website they are navigating will be related the world of fashionable and aesthetic tastes. We hope that this interaction between content providers and content consumers will allow the Internet’s style-minded user base to work in greater concert and to strengthen their connections globally.

We will create a safe and secure TLD, and believe that this is the most significant way to ensure that our users have positive experiences when using .style.

iv.) Provide a complete description of the applicant’s intended registration policies in support of the goals listed above.
Given that we recognize the expansiveness and diversity of the relevant content that could be hosted on a .style TLD, we intend to offer .style domains through ICANN-accredited registrars, using an open registration policy that requires no verification of any formal certification, training, or other quantifiable measure of merit. Through targeted marketing efforts and niche pricing levels, we expect to see that a large majority of the domains registered will be by those with plans to develop sites related to style. In this way, we are insuring the .style TLD will be open to all forms of a wide variety of relevant content while still maintaining a strongly delineated space.

We will fully implement the requirements made by the ICANN Board with regards to the Trademark Clearinghouse, URS, Trademark PDDRP, RRDRP, and UDRP. We believe the these measures have been suitably developed to prevent defensive registrations, bad faith registrations, and other malicious registrations.

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.

As per the current requirements in Section 4 of the Registry Agreement, we will implement all necessary thick WHOIS services. We recognize how imperative it is for each registry and ICANN-accredited registrar to be in full compliance with ICANN’s current WHOIS standards, and we plan to update our policy in accordance with any future measures taken by the ICANN Board in regard to the continuous work by the GNSO’s WHOIS Task Force and other recommendations from the SOs. We have no plans to implement any privacy or confidential measures other than fully implementing any and all such measures as required by ICANN.

Similar gTLD applications: (1)