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

Prototypical answer:

ADAC intends to organize the registry operation for the .ADAC in such a manner that it will minimize the likelihood of having multiple applications or registration requests for a particular domain name.
According to ADAC, this can be achieved in any of the following ways, which likely needs to be further refined following ICANN’s award and delegation of the .ADAC gTLD to the Applicant:

1) From the Applicant’s perspective, .ADAC may 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 .ADAC top-level domain is currently intended to be unambiguous as regards:
a) the identity of ADAC as the Registry Operator;
b) the source of the content, products and services offered under the .ADAC gTLD;
c) the affiliation between the Registry Operator and the TLD; and
d) in term, and at the discretion of ADAC, the affiliation between the Registry Operator and any third party that is authorized by ADAC to register and⁄or use one or more domain name registrations in the .ADAC TLD.

2) As mentioned in the vision and mission statement above, the key reasons why Applicant is applying for .ADAC include but are not limited to:
a) Securing and protecting the ADAC brand as a generic top-level domain: The Applicant holds various registered trademarks for ADAC and its derivations. An important reason for which ADAC submits this application for the .ADAC gTLD is that it wants to prevent third parties from securing the TLD that is identical to ADAC’s highly distinctive and reputable brand;
b) Reflecting the Applicant’s key brand ADAC at the top-level of the DNS’ hierarchy;
c) Safety and security for ADAC members and internet users: ADAC has always been championing consumer protection and its members expect that it acts in a secure and transparent way, both off-line and online;
d) Ensuring a clear-cut communications channel within the ADAC community;
e) Providing a platform for the community of the Applicant’s member organizations and about 18 million individual members.

3) The Applicant intends to implement the following policies and procedures with respect to the registration of domain names in the .ADAC top-level domain:
a) reservation and registration of domain names in the name of ADAC. It is likely that this will be the scenario that ADAC will put in place during the first months or even years of operation of the .ADAC gTLD.
These names may include, but are not limited to:
I) descriptive names, referring to the services and products offered by the Applicant to its members;
II) descriptive names, referring to the regional and local clubs of the Applicant and to organizations associated with the Applicant;
III) potentially also names relating to other Stakeholders, to be determined by ADAC following ICANN’s award and delegation of the .ADAC gTLD to the Applicant;
b) launch of the TLD: if and when implemented by the Registry Operator, this is likely going to be a gradual process, whereby selected third parties that meet certain criteria, which ADAC will be entitled to set at its own discretion, may register domain names in the .ADAC gTLD. These processes will include a sunrise clause allowing physical persons, organizations and entities that meet the eligibility requirements determined by ADAC at that point in time to choose and, where allowed by ADAC, to register the domain names that are identical to their trademarks. After that sunrise period, the general registration procedures and policies will apply (including, as determined by ADAC at its sole discretion, eligibility restrictions).
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 entity wishing to register a domain name or in the name of the Registry Operator of the TLD (i.e., ADAC). In any case, ADAC reserves the right to impose additional and other restrictions from time to time at its sole discretion;

4) Given the fact that the Applicant is a company that is established in Germany, it is subject to national privacy and data protection rules and practices. In particular, given the fact that the German and European data protection authorities have issued strict guidelines, ADAC will at all times be obliged to carefully consider and, where applicable, implement these policies, and this prior to and during the operation of the . ADAC gTLD.

5) The ADAC has been established on 24 May 1903 in Stuttgart in the form of a registered association (“eingetragener Verein”). In the beginning, its main focus lie on motorcyclists but – due to the rapid growth in members and the evolving technical environment – quite quickly evolved to encompass all motorists. After 10 years of operation, ADAC already had some 20.000 members and became the largest automobile club in Germany. Dissolved for political reasons by order of the authorities before the Second World War, the ADAC had to be – from a legal point of view – re-established in 1946, but it always carried on its tradition and has now a successful history of more than 100 years of operation. The success and acceptance of ADAC is particularly highlighted by the steadily growing number of its members. Nowadays, ADAC is broadly regarded in Germany as an organization one can trustfully rely on in case of a breakdown, accident or emergency while traveling. In addition, ADAC has earned a reputation as an advocate of consumer protection issues. More than 18 million members rely on and trust ADAC, making it by far the largest automobile club in Europe.

6) At this stage, ADAC has not developed concrete and tangible plans in order to move its online activities from its many active domain names. However, ADAC has different ways in order to make existing and future Stakeholders as well as visitors aware of the (gradual) development of a new online environment under the .ADAC TLD, including but not limited to:
a) Its own membership magazine which is distributed in over 13 million copies a month;
b) By way of advertisements in newspapers, magazines, tv ,radio, online;
c) Official press releases of ADAC and other activities of its PR department;
d) Direct and indirect marketing and branding initiatives;
e) Internet advertising campaigns, including paid search, pay-per-click advertising, etc.;
f) Having Internet traffic to the its various active domain names resolving into domain names registered in the .ADAC TLD, which builds awareness with Internet users that the .ADAC gTLD exists;
g) Email marketing campaigns;
h) etc.

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