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

gTLDFull Legal NameE-mail suffixDetail
.网址Top Level Domain Holdings Limitedgmail.comView
The .网址 domain will offer an alternative domain which prospective registrants can use to advertise their products, information and services on the Internet, making them more accessible to their targeted audiences. Additionally, this will benefit the public at large as it will result in a wider range of options from which to choose.

PUBLIC BENEFIT
We believe that the Internet-using world will benefit from the existence of a .网址 gTLD by:

- making domain names ending in .网址 available to all those who may want to use such .网址 domain names for their own business, personal, political or other legal purposes in the United States and world-wide.

- the promotion of websites by having information of any and all types and for any and all legal purposes available and disseminated from websites and email addresses ending in .网址 for the registrants’ and users’ own purposes world-wide.

- the promotion of websites by allowing businesses, not-for-profits and individuals to associate their products, services, information and selves with websites for their own purposes.

- allowing people and organizations to promote their association with websites on the Internet.

- providing an identifiable means for people, organizations and businesses to communicate with those who associate with or provide websites.

EXPANDING THE TLD NAMESPACE
Over the past decade, the market for domain name registrations has grown at a tremendous pace. From 2000 to 2010 domain name registrations increased from 40 million to 200 million domain names registered globally. 2011 experienced a growth of approximately 9%, which was significantly higher than the previous year’s 6% growth, ending third quarter 2011 with approximately 220 million domain names registered globally. Approximately 60% of these are gTLDs, while the remaining 40% are comprised of ccTLDs. More specifically, gTLD growth was approximately 8% in 2011, while ccTLD growth exceeded 11%.

Existing TLDs, such as .COM and .NET, do not provide adequate solutions for many registrants. Domain names that relate to the registrants’ business, interests, or associations are often already registered, priced exorbitantly high, or available options are unsuitable. Additionally, other options, such as ccTLDs, do not provide adequate alternatives as a registrant may not have any geographic relation or meet the criteria associated with other gTLDs such as .MUSEUM or .AERO. Therefore, the only available opportunity to pursue a relevant and useful domain name registration may be through a brand new registration of a gTLD.

Taking into account the new opportunities available with new gTLDs, growth is expected to continue in all sections of the domain name industry. It will benefit registrants and users by allowing registrants to reach more targeted audiences and increase their web presence. Additionally, it will allow registrants to more closely identify with a particular market segment.

At present, there is no specific .网址 domain name, or useful top-level alternative domain name, that exists for the people, organizations or businesses that associate themselves with websites or people, organizations or businesses that want to communicate with them. Those desirous of a domain name that indicates some level of association with websites could seek a second level domain name such as “网址.COM,” “网址.CN” or “网址. 中国,” but such domains (or similar names) are not readily available under the limited number of existing gTLDs, and--more importantly--only provide a secondary (at best) or weak (at worst) relationship between the domain name and the topic “websites”, which we believe is the primary goal of the registrant of such names.

From a competitive perspective, registrants that want a domain name that effectively and efficiently shows an association with websites or registrants that want a domain name that allows them to identifiably communicate with people who associate or identify with it face a domain name marketplace that provides them with few, if any, options for their purposes. The .网址 top-level domain will resolve this problem by providing registrants with an efficient, effective, prominent, instantly understood way of showing their association with websites, and provide those registrants who desire it a domain that that can effectively communicate information to such Internet users in an identifiable way. At the same time, .网址 provides competition with the existing TLDs and new gTLDs that will be approved by ICANN, benefiting the Internet community at large by increasing consumer choice.

We believe that the .网址 top-level domain will add significantly to competition and differentiation in the top-level domain space, both for registrants and Internet consumers. With respect to competition, registrants are presently extremely limited in their choice of domain names that allow them to efficiently and effectively associate themselves with websites. The availability of useful, effective, straight-forward domain names on existing top-level domains, such as .COM, .NET and .ORG, are few and far between, or may be for sale at prices that are out of reach for most. .网址 will allow registrants to obtain useful, effective, straight-forward domain names rather than be forced to purchase, for example, their fifth, sixth or even later choice .COM or .NET name--which may well barely relate to the registrant’s purpose--or use of a domain name that may be confusingly similar with numerous other .COM or .NET domain names. In addition, some existing generic top-level domain names, though newer, such as .XXX, may be inappropriate for most registrants for content associational reasons, while country-code top-level domains, though numerous, are not useful or appropriate for many registrants for geographical associational reasons. Thus, .网址 will increase competition for registrants who want a domain name that clearly, effectively and efficiently associates them with websites for their domain name purposes as well as for those registrants who want to reach Internet users who identify with it.

.网址 will also increase pricing competition in the top-level domain name space by assuring that .网址 domain names are priced at levels that are appropriate to the vast majority of potential registrants to whom .网址 is targeted.

Internet consumers benefit from this increase in competition, as less confusing and clearly associated .网址 domain names will make it easier for them to know that the owner of the second-level domain name is a member of or seeks to associate with websites.

Likewise, .网址 will help significantly increase differentiation in the top-level domain space. Existing leading generic top-level domain names, such as .COM, .NET and .ORG no longer require and no longer represent any real differentiation in association, purpose or content. Newer top-level domains, such as .XXX, .AERO and .MUSEUM, do represent differentiation, but are either inappropriate or unavailable to most prospective registrants at whom .网址 is targeted. .网址 will further increase differentiation by allowing registrants to be associated, and consumers to know that the registrant seeks to associate with websites.

In terms of user experience, .网址 will provide users with a top-level domain name that allows them to easily recognize that the registrant seeks to have its second-level domain name and content associated with websites. We believe this will be of substantial benefit to the Internet user community in generally--and the websites market specifically--as it will allow them to more easily and more readily understand the purpose or motives of the registrant’s website or email, allowing for better, more efficient and more effective use of their time online.

On balance, and for the reasons set forth above, a .网址 domain will be in the public’s interest; it will serve as a catalyst to promoting communication; and it will benefit the entire Internet community.
gTLDFull Legal NameE-mail suffixDetail
.freeTop Level Domain Holdings Limitedgmail.comView
The .FREE domain will help cater to companies, businesses and consumers, efficiently providing them with an identifiable medium to offer and take advantage of free products, content and services. This will benefit the public at large, especially those who would not otherwise have the capacity or means to acquire the products and services listed by the .FREE registrants.

PUBLIC BENEFIT
The .FREE gTLD will provide all those interested, world-wide, in disseminating or seeking information--whether non-commercial or commercial--issues, news, culture, lifestyle, entertainment, sports or any other topic with a convenient and recognizable domain name that associates them and⁄or their information with free goods and services.

We believe that the Internet-using world will benefit from the existence of a .FREE gTLD by:

- making domain names ending in .FREE available to all those who may want to use such .FREE domain names for their own business, personal, political or other legal purposes in the United States and world-wide.

- the promotion of free goods and services by having information of any and all types and for any and all legal purposes available and disseminated from websites and email addresses ending in .FREE for the registrants’ and users’ own purposes world-wide.

- the promotion of free goods and services by allowing businesses, not-for-profits and individuals to associate their products, services, information and selves with free goods and services for their own purposes.

- allowing people and organizations to promote their association with free goods and services on the Internet.

- providing an identifiable means for people, organizations and businesses to communicate with those who associate with or provide free goods and services.

EXPANDING THE TLD NAMESPACE
Over the past decade, the market for domain name registrations has grown at a tremendous pace. From 2000 to 2010 domain name registrations increased from 40 million to 200 million domain names registered globally. 2011 experienced a growth of approximately 9%, which was significantly higher than the previous year’s 6% growth, ending third quarter 2011 with approximately 220 million domain names registered globally. Approximately 60% of these are gTLDs, while the remaining 40% are comprised of ccTLDs. More specifically, gTLD growth was approximately 8% in 2011, while ccTLD growth exceeded 11%.

Existing TLDs, such as .COM and .NET, do not provide adequate solutions for many registrants. Domain names that relate to the registrants’ business, interests, or associations are often already registered, priced exorbitantly high, or available options are unsuitable. Additionally, other options, such as ccTLDs, do not provide adequate alternatives as a registrant may not have any geographic relation or meet the criteria associated with other gTLDs such as .MUSEUM or .AERO. Therefore, the only available opportunity to pursue a relevant and useful domain name registration may be through a brand new registration of a gTLD.

Taking into account the new opportunities available with new gTLDs, growth is expected to continue in all sections of the domain name industry. It will benefit registrants and users by allowing registrants to reach more targeted audiences and increase their web presence. Additionally, it will allow registrants to more closely identify with a particular market segment.

At present, there is no specific .FREE domain name, or useful top-level alternative domain name, that exists for the people, organizations or businesses that associate themselves with free goods and services or people, organizations or businesses that want to communicate with them. Those desirous of a domain name that indicates some level of association with free goods and services could seek a second level domain name such as “FREE.COM,” “FREE.US” or “FREE.NET,” but such domains (or similar names) are not readily available under the limited number of existing gTLDs, and--more importantly--only provide a secondary (at best) or weak (at worst) relationship between the domain name and free goods and services, which we believe is the primary goal of the registrant of such names.

From a competitive perspective, registrants that want a domain name that effectively and efficiently shows an association with free goods and services or registrants that want a domain name that allows them to identifiably communicate with people who associate or identify with it face a domain name marketplace that provides them with few, if any, options for their purposes. The .FREE top-level domain will resolve this problem by providing registrants with an efficient, effective, prominent, instantly understood way of showing their association with free goods and services, and provide those registrants who desire it a domain that that can effectively communicate information to such Internet users in an identifiable way. At the same time, .FREE provides competition with the existing TLDs and new gTLDs that will be approved by ICANN, benefiting the Internet community at large by increasing consumer choice.

We believe that the .FREE top-level domain will add significantly to competition and differentiation in the top-level domain space, both for registrants and Internet consumers. With respect to competition, registrants are presently extremely limited in their choice of domain names that allow them to efficiently and effectively associate themselves with free goods and services. The availability of useful, effective, straight-forward domain names on existing top-level domains, such as .COM, .NET and .ORG, are few and far between, or may be for sale at prices that are out of reach for most. .FREE will allow registrants to obtain useful, effective, straight-forward domain names rather than be forced to purchase, for example, their fifth, sixth or even later choice .COM or .NET name--which may well barely relate to the registrant’s purpose--or use of a domain name that may be confusingly similar with numerous other .COM or .NET domain names. In addition, some existing generic top-level domain names, though newer, such as .XXX, may be inappropriate for most registrants for content associational reasons, while country-code top-level domains, though numerous, are not useful or appropriate for many registrants for geographical associational reasons. Thus, .FREE will increase competition for registrants who want a domain name that clearly, effectively and efficiently associates them with free goods and services for their domain name purposes as well as for those registrants who want to reach Internet users who identify with it.

.FREE will also increase pricing competition in the top-level domain name space by assuring that .FREE domain names are priced at levels that are appropriate to the vast majority of potential registrants to whom .FREE is targeted.

Internet consumers benefit from this increase in competition, as less confusing and clearly associated .FREE domain names will make it easier for them to know that the owner of the second-level domain name is a member of or seeks to associate with free goods and services.

Likewise, .FREE will help significantly increase differentiation in the top-level domain space. Existing leading generic top-level domain names, such as .COM, .NET and .ORG no longer require and no longer represent any real differentiation in association, purpose or content. Newer top-level domains, such as .XXX, .AERO and .MUSEUM, do represent differentiation, but are either inappropriate or unavailable to most prospective registrants at whom .FREE is targeted. .FREE will further increase differentiation by allowing registrants to be associated, and consumers to know that the registrant seeks to associate with free goods and services.

In terms of user experience, .FREE will provide users with a top-level domain name that allows them to easily recognize that the registrant seeks to have its second-level domain name and content associated with free goods and services. We believe this will be of substantial benefit to the Internet user community in generally--and the free goods and services industry specifically--as it will allow them to more easily and more readily understand the purpose or motives of the registrant’s website or email, allowing for better, more efficient and more effective use of their time online.

On balance, and for the reasons set forth above, a .FREE domain will be in the public’s interest; it will serve as a catalyst to promoting frugality.