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

Prototypical answer:

Although the ITV registry will be stringently controlled and used only by authorised ITV personnel, it is predicted that it will benefit the following stakeholders:
• External (ITV viewers and users of our online services): we hope they will recognise and trust the authenticity of an .ITV domain and the information it contains.
• Internal (ITV’s employees): a new gTLD will be perceived as reinforcing ITV’s brand and providing a more secure communication channel while also demonstrating that ITV is at the forefront of internet development.

(i) What is the goal of your proposed gTLD in terms of areas of speciality, service levels reputation?
ITV prides itself on the integrity of its brand and this will extend to its new gTLD, the goals for which will be to protect the character string, enhance ITV’s brand and reputation and in terms of service levels, to run the .ITV registry to the highest-levels of professionalism. ITV wants its registry to be a model of good practice.

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

Being one of the first brand owners – and certainly one of the first media organisations to apply - has made this means of signposting authenticity particularly attractive to us. We want our viewers and advertisers to place their trust in our registry.

(iii) What goals does your proposed gTLD have in terms of user experience?
ITV hopes that, wherever they may be located and whichever device they may be using, once viewers and users arrive at the new gTLD they know they are in a trusted and authentic destination where they will receive accurate information and where their details are protected.

(iv) Provide a complete description of the applicant’s intended registration policies in support of the goals above

ITV will be the operator of the .ITV registry. The ITV Domain Name Management Team will be responsible for the development, maintenance and enforcement of the .ITV Domain Management Policy. This policy defines the rules associated with eligibility and domain name allocation, sets out the license terms governing the use of a .ITV domain name and describes the dispute resolution policies for the .ITV gTLD. This policy is intended to be updated and revised regularly to reflect ITV’s commercial and strategic interests and, where appropriate, ICANN consensus policies.
Registration of a .ITV domain name will be undertaken in four steps: Eligibility Confirmation, Naming Convention Check, Acceptable Use Review, and finally Registration. All domains in the .ITV registry will remain the property of ITV.
Each applied for character string must conform to the .ITV rules of eligibility. Each .ITV name must:
• Be at least 3 characters and no more than 63 characters long
• Not contain a hyphen on the 3rd and 4th position (tagged domains)
• Contain only letters (a-z), numbers (0-9) and hyphens or a combination of these
• Start and end with an alphanumeric character, not a hyphen
• Not match any character strings reserved by ICANN
• Not match any protected country names or geographical terms

Internationalised domain names (IDN) will be supported in the .ITV registry at the second level.
.ITV names must be used solely for purposes that enhance ITV’s strategic or commercial interests. .ITV domains may not be used in a way which knowingly infringes any third party intellectual property rights or gives rise to moral or public order questions.
.ITV names may not be delegated or assigned to external organisations, institutions, or individuals.
All .ITV domains will carry accurate and up to date registration records.
The ITV Domain Name Management Team may revoke a .ITV domain name at any time in line with ITV’s corporate and strategic interests.
The ITV registry will be ICANN compliant: the registry will interface with the Trademark Clearinghouse, operate a Sunrise and IP Claims and all registrants must comply with the UDRP and the URS.

(v) Will your proposed gTLD impose any measures for protecting the privacy of confidential information of registrants or users?

The .ITV registry will be incorporated within the UK, so all data will be processed in conformity with the Data Protection Act 1998 and European Union’s Data Protection Directive together with any other applicable data protection requirements. ITV will comply with the Personal Data obligations of the ICANN Registry Agreement. As required, approved personnel will be registered as data handlers and trained to ensure compliance with ICANN’s requirements.

We will:

• Document policies and procedures including an escalation process
• Use appropriate levels of encryption and physical security
• Train key staff and ensuring responsibilities are understood and documented in rules of conduct
• Limit access to records only to those employees or service providers who need access for the performance of their job duties
• Test procedures
• Monitor best practice and ICANN’s mandated and recommended policies
• Audit the work of providers including the Escrow provider and checking data.

(vi) Describe whether and in what ways outreach and communications will help to achieve your projected benefits?

Guidelines will be produced and published internally within ITV providing clarity on how eligible ITV representatives can apply for a .ITV domain and defining acceptable use. As a standard registry closed to third parties, this should ensure that .ITV domains are used in accordance with ITV’s objectives by authorised ITV personnel. Appropriate communication might include creating a home page for the registry using simple and clear messaging for the benefit of internal users so that they understand our policy. We will also participate in the ICANN Registry Operators Constituency.

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