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

gTLDFull Legal NameE-mail suffixDetail
.moeInterlink Co., Ltd.urbanbrain.comView
The new gTLD program instituted by ICANN represents a major milestone in the evolution of Internet history and a new way forward in the way users interact and navigate the web.
 
Interlink is applying for the “.moe” top-level domain (TLD) to create a new online identity for a niche community. The word “moe” (in Japanese: “萌え”; pronounced as “moh-ay”) is a slang word in Japanese that has a deeper meaning than any English definition of the word suggests.

The word “moe” began as a buzzword for a subculture of “otaku” (most closely related English term: “geek”) in Japan in the 90’s. Originally derived from the verb “moeru” which means to bud, or to sprout, “moe” is often used to describe a feeling of excitement towards some object or character, mainly in animation, manga (Japanese comic books), and video games. It has often been used to mean a particular type of “adorable” or “cute” towards fictional characters and was originally used in relattion to a type of fascination with fantasy.

The otaku culture in Japan is very relevant in today’s Japanese society, socially and economically. A look through Japan’s local and widely popular social networking website’s communities section (Mixi Communities) identifies over 10 million members of communities that can be recognized as part of the otaku culture. The otaku culture coupled with the boom of mobile Internet use in Japan has truly given life to the word “moe”, which in 2005, was named as a one of the top Japanese word of the year.

Today, the word takes on a more expansive meaning somewhat deviating from just the adoration of the fantastical. One can feel or experience “moe” or “burning passion” for all kinds of things, not just animation, or fantasy characters. For example, one can express a feeling of “moe” when looking at a cute puppy or kitten. In fact, there are even individuals who express their fascination for architecture using the term “moe”. “Moe” is a very versatile word that can be used as a noun, a verb, and even an adjective.

Interlink intends to introduce the “.moe” top-level domain to self-identified otaku’s everywhere. The mission and purpose of “.moe” can be broken down into two key areas; creating a new online identity for users who identify with the otaku culture, and the operation of a safe, stable, and secure TLD for Internet users everywhere. Each key component of Interlink’s mission is further described below.


1. Creating a New Online Identity

The New gTLD program is a tremendous opportunity to usher in a new era of innovation on the Internet. Interlink has been involved in providing Internet related services since its inception in 1995 when its entry into the market as an Internet Service Provider was met with over 2,500 other companies looking to take advantage of the Internet boom. Interlink has a strong foundation in providing personal, customized, and customer-focused services which has enabled it to manage a consistent client base and to outlast nearly 90 percent of its competitors.

Interlink prides itself of on the creation of fun, and sometimes quirky content for its customers, that has given Interlink a great amount of differentiation among its competitors. For example, Interlink has built a strong community around its widely popular Otaku Senryu (Geek Poem) contest since which began back in 2005 in which users submit a poem (similar to a haiku) on various topics, mainly related to anything “otaku.” This year’s poem contest drew over 20,000 participants, and was covered nationally with television spots and articles on MSN Japan and Yahoo! Japan, among others. Interlink has been dedicated to serving individuals who consider themselves otaku’s for over seven years and today Otaku Senryu has over 100,000 subscribers.

Individuals who identify themselves as otaku are very enthusiastic, and demanding consumers; Interlink’s mission in managing “.moe” is to create an online community to serve as a platform for Internet users who view themselves as part of what “moe” and “otaku” culture embodies. The introduction of the “.moe” top-level domain will bring about new and exciting choices for consumers when selecting a domain name to build their online identities with. Interlink believes that the “.moe” TLD presents a more appropriate, more desirable choice of domain names than currently offered under non-specific TLDs today such as .JP, or .COM.

Interlink believes that individual consumers will make up the majority of registrations in the “.moe” top-level domain, and that the TLD will be popular among companies that produce related content. Interlink anticipates that “.moe” will be very attractive to the moe culture due to its personal and unique connotation. Individuals who see themselves as part of the moe culture will finally have access to a domain space that they can use to interact with other likeminded groups, or businesses. Businesses that produce a genre of content that fits the “.moe” culture will also be likely registrants of “.moe” domain names in order to communicate their activities to customers.

In order to engage all Internet users and domain registrants, Interlink proposes to operate the “.moe” top-level domain as an unrestricted (generic) and unsponsored TLD and believes that the introduction of “.moe” will create new markets and avenues for online participation from the otaku’s and consumers around the world who identify with the moe culture.


2. Operate a Safe, Stable, and Secure TLD

Interlink has made it a priority to make “.moe” a safe, stable and secure TLD to gain the trust of registrants and users and is fully aware of the firm financial commitments needed to properly manage a TLD from a technical perspective and to protect against negative effects on the stability and security of the Internet. Furthermore, Interlink understands that down time due to poorly managed registry systems will have lasting commercial consequences. Interlink has contracted Neustar Inc., for backend registry services in order to effectively minimize risks related to technical operations. Interlink selected Neustar due to its significant experience running existing gTLDs and ccTLDs as well as the company’s track-record of successfully operating secure and stable TLDs.

In addition to running a technically sound operation, Interlink believes that registration policies and abuse policies play a major role in creating and maintaining an Internet namespace that truly serves its intended registrants and users. Interlink has fully described its registration policies in response to Question 18B, as well as its policies to protect consumers social costs in answer to Question 18C. Finally, draft language for an Acceptable Use Policy can be found in the response to Question 28.

Interlink’s proposal to operate the “.moe” TLD fully meets all of ICANN’s technical criteria as well as the financial criteria, including having already secured a letter of credit from its bank to ensure continuing operations for over three years.
gTLDFull Legal NameE-mail suffixDetail
.clothingSteel Lake, 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.