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18(a) Describe the mission/purpose of your proposed gTLD

gTLDFull Legal NameE-mail suffixDetail
.taxiTaxi Pay GmbHtaxi.euView
OVERALL MISSION
First and foremost, the gTLD .taxi will be used to assign a dedicated and recognizable namespace to members of the global taxi community, including individual entrepreneurs, offices, corporations, not-for-profit-organizations, relevant industry partners, such as special insurance providers, auto shops, hardware and software suppliers, and the like, as well as related divisions of public authorities, as described in full detail in the answer to question 20(a). The gTLD .taxi serves as a common online platform for all of the just named members, while offering each entity its individual domain space at second level. The overall mission of the gTLD .taxi is to foster the further growth and the long-term sustainability of the taxi community, as well as facilitate the establishment of online presences even for small players of the industry in order to lead the rather traditional industry to an innovative future. Designed and available for registration exclusively for members of the taxi community, the gTLD .taxi will be established as a label for both quality and trustworthiness of information.

TARGET GROUP AND BENEFICIARIES
As such, the gTLD .taxi most importantly addresses two groups of users: The first one is the target group, representing individuals and organizations of the taxi community being considered as potential registrants. The second one is the group of beneficiaries, constituted by a variety of potential taxi clients, i.e. private individuals, private enterprises, not-for-profit organizations and public institutions without any entrepreneurial affiliation with the taxi community. Both groups are going to be delineated as follows. The target group that we are aiming to engage with consists of several subgroups. Firstly, the core taxi industry with taxi drivers, taxi offices, individual taxi entrepreneurs and other taxi companies, all of which can be clearly identified based on their taxi licenses, as well as a certificate of registration, i.e. a trade register excerpt. Secondly, the taxi community includes the members of the immediate surrounding industry, such as hardware and software suppliers, recruiting and training companies, auto shops, automotive suppliers, insurances and pertinent press all with a very strong if not exclusive focus on the just described core taxi industry. This particular community group is identified through certificates of registration, i.e. trade register excerpts. Thirdly, the community includes superordinate organizations, such as governmental organizations, public authorities and institutions and committees with the purpose of establishing relevant policies for the core taxi industry, as well as non-governmental organizations with the purpose of advocating taxi-related issues towards the public sector, the general public and relevant taxi industry representatives on a municipal, regional, national and international level. This group verifies its affiliation to the taxi community through a written, official and verified statement by its superordinate authority or a certificate of a verified register of associations. Fourthly, the taxi community includes affiliated businesses, such as owners of trademarks with a special interest in the products and services of the core taxi industry, such as major places of public interest (i.e. hospitals) or major events of public interest (i.e. Oscar Academy Awards).

PURPOSE AND BENEFITS
In addition to the just described target group, which is, of course strongly benefiting from the new gTLD .taxi, the group of beneficiaries is mainly defined by private individuals, not-for-profit, private and public entities with a user perspective regarding the taxi community, but no affiliation to the community itself. In order to demonstrate this, potential use cases are outlined in the following. Firstly, target group registrants could for example represent their profession. This could mean that a taxi office registers a domain to promote its services and attract business for all contracted taxi entrepreneurs and companies. The main purpose of such a domain at second level would be to address the public and stimulate consumer decisions. This would represent a mainly business-to-consumer-oriented approach. Secondly, closed discussion forums for members of the taxi community could be established under a .taxi-domain, addressing issues of relevant public policy or fostering an active exchange of interests within a relevant stakeholder group, for instance to stimulate business generation between direct members of the taxi community (drivers, offices, companies) and indirect members (insurances, auto shops, suppliers etc.). This represents an entirely business-to-business level. Thirdly, the whole not-for-profit community can build research networks, publication databases, and representative space all around a verified taxi namespace.

Furthermore, all internet users among the global population itself are considered a relevant audience benefiting from the new gTLD .taxi. As part of a rather traditional industry, taxis are naturally perceived as a means of transport from the point of being to a point of interest for private individuals or business travelers in urban areas, and represent a crucial alternative to public transportation in rural areas, especially. One of the main factors for this is a significantly higher level of comfort than public transportation – not only considering the equipment of the taxi itself (seating, speed of travel etc.), but also in terms of eliminating waiting time for busses, trains, subways and trams or knowing one’s way around a new place. Hence, when people look for information on taxi services, we anticipate them to be interested in a quick, reliable and safe source of information about a service that has become a day-to-day commodity for many of them. In this sense, the gTLD .taxi is facilitating the comparison of available services in terms of price, level of comfort, quality and reliability in a city, a region or a country, thus enabling consumers to choose the taxi service most suitable for them. In addition, the gTLD .taxi would serve as a means to find safe and secure personal transportation in countries, nations or regions with political or economic conflict.

FORECASTED DEMAND
In order to consider the gTLD’s introduction successful, TaxiPay GmbH expects to operate approximately 15,000 “.taxi” domains by the end of year 3 of registry operations. The forecast on registered “.taxi” domains is therefore as follows:

Year 1: 6,750
Year 2: 11,360
Year 3: 15,211

This forecast includes direct sales of domains to accredited registrars only. Moreover, this calculation accounts for an annual growth rate of 30%, and an annual termination rate of 2%.The business case in question 46 “Projections Template” will further illustrate the expected revenues from the registry business.

BEYOND MISSION AND PURPOSE
Yet, our purpose of hosting the respective gTLD goes beyond the mere provision of an additional Top Level Domain. When introducing a TLD for professionals in such a traditional community such as the taxi community, we believe that the respective TLD must be safeguarded against any fraudulent behaviour. Therefore, TaxiPay GmbH intends to make sure that only trusted organizations, communities, and individuals with an eligible purpose can register a domain and provide information under a “.taxi” TLD. In that way we will raise and sustain an always equally-high level of reputation and trustworthiness. As TaxiPay GmbH currently also operates taxi.eu, the largest online platform for the taxi community on a business-to-consumer level throughout Europe, the taxi community surrounding TaxiPay GmbH alone comprises at least 40,000 taxis in more than 50 European cities with more than 150,000 drivers. Thus, TaxiPay GmbH as the sole operator of the gTLD .taxi believes to be the ideal candidate for this purpose.
gTLDFull Legal NameE-mail suffixDetail
.bingoSand Cedar, LLCdonuts.coView
Q18A CHAR: 7985

ABOUT DONUTS
Donuts Inc. is the parent applicant for this and multiple other TLDs. The company intends to increase competition and consumer choice at the top level. It will operate these carefully selected TLDs safely and securely in a shared resources business model. To achieve its objectives, Donuts has recruited seasoned executive management with proven track records of excellence in the industry. In addition to this business and operational experience, the Donuts team also has contributed broadly to industry policymaking and regulation, successfully launched TLDs, built industry-leading companies from the ground up, and brought innovation, value and choice to the domain name marketplace.

DONUTS’ PLACE WITHIN ICANN’S MISSION
ICANN and the new TLD program share the following purposes:
1. to make sure that the Internet remains as safe, stable and secure as possible, while
2. helping to ensure there is a vibrant competitive marketplace to efficiently bring the benefits of the namespace to registrants and users alike.

ICANN harnesses the power of private enterprise to bring forth these public benefits. While pursuing its interests, Donuts helps ICANN accomplish its objectives by:

1. Significantly widening competition and choice in Internet identities with hundreds of new top-level domain choices;
2. Providing innovative, robust, and easy-to-use new services, names and tools for users, registrants, registrars, and registries while at the same time safeguarding the rights of others;
3. Designing, launching, and securely operating carefully selected TLDs in multiple languages and character sets; and
4. Providing a financially robust corporate umbrella under which its new TLDs will be protected and can thrive.

ABOUT DONUTS’ RESOURCES
Donuts’ financial resources are extensive. The company has raised more than US$100 million from a number of capital sources including multiple multi-billion dollar venture capital and private equity funds, a top-tier bank, and other well-capitalized investors. Should circumstances warrant, Donuts is prepared to raise additional funding from current or new investors. Donuts also has in place pre-funded, Continued Operations Instruments to protect future registrants. These resource commitments mean Donuts has the capability and intent to launch, expand and operate its TLDs in a secure manner, and to properly protect Internet users and rights-holders from potential abuse.

Donuts firmly believes a capable and skilled organization will operate multiple TLDs and benefit Internet users by:

1. Providing the operational and financial stability necessary for TLDs of all sizes, but particularly for those with smaller volume (which are more likely to succeed within a shared resources and shared services model);
2. Competing more powerfully against incumbent gTLDs; and
3. More thoroughly and uniformly executing consumer and rights holder protections.

THIS TLD
This TLD is attractive and useful to end-users as it better facilitates search, self-expression, information sharing and the provision of legitimate goods and services. Along with the other TLDs in the Donuts family, this TLD will provide Internet users with opportunities for online identities and expression that do not currently exist. In doing so, the TLD will introduce significant consumer choice and competition to the Internet namespace – the very purpose of ICANN’s new TLD program.

This TLD is a generic term and its second level names will be attractive to a variety of Internet users. Making this TLD available to a broad audience of registrants is consistent with the competition goals of the New TLD expansion program, and consistent with ICANN’s objective of maximizing Internet participation. Donuts believes in an open Internet and, accordingly, we will encourage inclusiveness in the registration policies for this TLD. In order to avoid harm to legitimate registrants, Donuts will not artificially deny access, on the basis of identity alone (without legal cause), to a TLD that represents a generic form of activity and expression.

DONUTS’ APPROACH TO PROTECTIONS
No entity, or group of entities, has exclusive rights to own or register second level names in this TLD. There are superior ways to minimize the potential abuse of second level names, and in this application Donuts will describe and commit to an extensive array of protections against abuse, including protections against the abuse of trademark rights.

We recognize some applicants seek to address harms by constraining access to the registration of second level names. However, we believe attempts to limit abuse by limiting registrant eligibility is unnecessarily restrictive and harms users by denying access to many legitimate registrants. Restrictions on second level domain eligibility would prevent law-abiding individuals and organizations from participating in a space to which they are legitimately connected, and would inhibit the sort of positive innovation we intend to see in this TLD. As detailed throughout this application, we have struck the correct balance between consumer and business safety, and open access to second level names.

By applying our array of protection mechanisms, Donuts will make this TLD a place for Internet users that is far safer than existing TLDs. Donuts will strive to operate this TLD with fewer incidences of fraud and abuse than occur in incumbent TLDs. In addition, Donuts commits to work toward a downward trend in such incidents.

OUR PROTECTIONS
Donuts has consulted with and evaluated the ideas of international law enforcement, consumer privacy advocacy organizations, intellectual property interests and other Internet industry groups to create a set of protections that far exceed those in existing TLDs, and bring to the Internet namespace nearly two dozen new rights and protection mechanisms to raise user safety and protection to a new level.

These include eight, innovative and forceful mechanisms and resources that far exceed the already powerful protections in the applicant guidebook. These are:

1. Periodic audit of WhoIs data for accuracy;
2. Remediation of inaccurate Whois data, including takedown, if warranted;
3. A new Domain Protected Marks List (DPML) product for trademark protection;
4. A new Claims Plus product for trademark protection;
5. Terms of use that prohibit illegal or abusive activity;
6. Limitations on domain proxy and privacy service;
7. Published policies and procedures that define abusive activity; and
8. Proper resourcing for all of the functions above.

They also include fourteen new measures that were developed specifically by ICANN for the new TLD process. These are:

1. Controls to ensure proper access to domain management functions;
2. 24⁄7⁄365 abuse point of contact at registry;
3. Procedures for handling complaints of illegal or abusive activity, including remediation and takedown processes;
4. Thick WhoIs;
5. Use of the Trademark Clearinghouse;
6. A Sunrise process;
7. A Trademark Claims process;
8. Adherence to the Uniform Rapid Suspension system;
9. Adherence to the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy;
10. Adherence to the Post Delegation Dispute Resolution Policy;
11. Detailed security policies and procedures;
12. Strong security controls for access, threat analysis and audit;
13. Implementation DNSSEC; and
14. Measures for the prevention of orphan glue records.

DONUTS’ INTENTION FOR THIS TLD
As a senior government authority has recently said, “a successful applicant is entrusted with operating a critical piece of global Internet infrastructure.” Donuts’ plan and intent is for this TLD to serve the international community by bringing new users online through opportunities for economic growth, increased productivity, the exchange of ideas and information and greater self-expression.