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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
.istanbulIstanbul Metropolitan Municipalitygmail.comView
We totally agree with ICANN: New gTLDs will change the way people find information on the Internet and how businesses plan and structure their online presence.

By the light of this vision, we believe that the proposed TLDs will provide numerous benefits to the registrants, internet users and others who want to become a part of the Istanbul. However, these we mentioned in this content are only limited by our imagination.

The Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (the ʺIMMʺ) has a powerful budget and capabilities to support these TLDs in every aspect. We as the IMM, have a strong advertisement infrastructure, media vehicles and powerful market, and above all we truly believe the success of the TLDs.

At first glance, the proposed TLD offers benefits to City tourism, small-to mid businesses, entrepreneurs, and global corporations with a presence in the City. It will provide connections that facilitate innovation enabling people to create and sell their services and products to one another and the world. Most importantly, creative use of the Internetʹs naming and networking features will facilitate transparency, collaboration, and trust helping the City grow as a global economic force.

The IMM intends to market the proposed TLDs as a truly prestigious strings that can be embraced and utilized by an individual, entrepreneurs, enterprises, and organizations whether located in Istanbul, or not. By positioning the proposed TLD as a truly prestigious string and by providing an entirely new pool of domain names for registration, the proposed TLD will open the possibility of domain name registration to a far greater number of people.

New name space

Although this market is currently served by existing gTLDs and ccTLDs, as a practical matter many of the most popular commonly-known and utilized words and phrases have already been registered. Accordingly, new registrants must have the financial resources sufficient either to conduct a major marketing campaign for an uncommon phrase or to purchase a previously registered domain name at a substantial price. It created a aggressive competition between people, businesses and organizations with the same name. Number of domain name disputes are growing, and the name space for generic names is getting tight since a lot of companies register many gTLDs and ccTLDs when launching a business or product. This limits the ability of the Internet to continue to expand into a truly global medium. In this context, the proposed TLD will calm this competition down, since a nearly infinite number of new combinations will be available with it.

Through the introduction of a new TLD, the IMM will provide registrants with a fresh set of domain names eligible for registration. Although the IMM expects that some registrants of existing gTLDs domain names will quickly move to register an equivalent name in the new TLD, the IMM expects that the majority of registrants will not apply for duplicative registrations, leaving many domain names free for registration by entirely new registrants. The most important goal of proposed TLDs is to provide a new fresh name space for local brands to encourage them becoming a part of the virtual world.

The new Turkish Commerce Code, which will start a new era in the Turkish economy.

The New Turkish Commercial Code (the “NTCC”), which will be effective from 1 July 2012, is a change that will direct the course of commercial life in our country, a real “Regulation for the Future”. The TCC was adopted by the Turkish Parliament on 13 January 2011 and promulgated in the Official Gazette on 14 February 2011. In summary, The NTCC redefines the rules governing commercial life in Turkey, with a modern approach that will help take Turkey to the next level in terms of transparency, auditability and reliability. Additional notes regarding to NTCC is provided at the question #49c Contingency Planning - Volumes as Attachment 49c.

In accordance with the principle of transparency at the NTCC, all equity capital companies are obliged to found a web site, and if such a site is available, to allocate a section of the web site to the use of shareholders and society. The web site shall include all the reports and all the relevant data concerning creditors and investors; primarily all announcements that should be legally made by the company, annual reports, financial statements and audit reports. Penalties and sanctions shall apply if the company fail to fulfil these obligations.

In this context, we believe that proposed TLDs in parallel with the NTCCʹs goals will have a important role on creation of an information society by providing a new name space for businesses, marketing and introducing this new TLDs.

Benefits for the local business and trademarks

Primarily, we believe that this TLD will assist local merchants based in Istanbul to be able to brand their businesses as located in the Istanbul. The small business community is a vital part of the Istanbul economy and any opportunity to increase their exposure while facilitating easy searching online is a step forward. The following list summarizes benefits for the businesses:
- Short, descriptive, and memorable domain names will be available for the Cityʹs businesses. Many local businesses will have the opportunity to reclaim their traditional and familiar names within the proposed TLD.
- The new set of domain names will reduce the current time consuming task of locating a good domain name, provide identity, and promote ʺfindabilityʺ through the intuitive names and Search Engine Optimization, helping city businesses rise to the top of search engines results.
- The proposed TLDs will provide local identity for companies using the same name used in other cities.
- Global companies with a city presence will choose a local TLD for more focused communication such as to let residents know of their local jobs, distributors, concerts, and community events they sponsor.

By encouraging domain name registration by a large audience both national and international, the proposed TLD will foster to improve service levels of both local and global businesses and government institutes. The TLD will able to enable government institutes to launch new e-government initiatives by a modern communication infrastructure and thereby it will ease the interaction of the city government and institutions with residents, organizations and businesses. Self-explaining URLs with content users expect will make the Cityʹs resources readily available and easier to locate by the regional, national and international audience. In addition, global and local businesses will be able to market and promote their events, new products and services for a targeted audience under a City brand.

By increasing navigation, the proposed TLD will obviously provide localization for areas of specialty such as hospitality, culture and education. Therefore accessibility of trusted-information will become easier than ever. In addition, the TLD will enable the IMM to generate new income streams which will enable a considerable resource for the IMM to support its services for the public and City development as well as to support its unique initiatives for tourism and economic development.

Our proposed TLDs goals are to foster businesses and government institutes to develop new methods to reach and communicate their targeted audience.

Reputation

We believe that proposed TLDs will support to increase brand awareness, recognition, and reputation of the Istanbul around the world. In this sense, it will support to promote and market tourism and culture in the Istanbul globally.

The TLD will ease the marketing of the city brand and city image to residents, tourists, businesses and investors from all over the globe with every domain name, e-mail, and web site. All of them will be associated with the City, and people will be reminded of our great city, and dream of their next visit. The TLD will create a unique local identity for citizens, companies, organizations and institutions and also provide a opportunity for local business to market their brands under a world City brand.

Our proposed TLD, which will boost importance and richness of Istanbul, goals is to support economic growth of the City by providing a new vehicle for City tourism. Once the ʺ.istanbulʺ and ʺ.istʺ TLDs are launched, individuals and local business owners will be able to uniquely associate themselves and their business with their home, and the Istanbul brand. They will be able to choose their online presence, how they want to represent themselves, with IST brand short-form of Istanbul or Istanbul brand.

The both proposed TLDs will be a source of prestige for Istanbul. Istanbul will be honored to recognize with its own TLD in the country and in the worldwide.

Competition

One of the central goals of the introduction of new TLDs is to create competition between existing ccTLDs and gTLDs and registry operators, as such competition will inevitably benefit the public. By definition, the more competitors there are in any given market, the greater the opportunities for competition in that market.

The introduction of a new TLD managed by the IMM and its experienced back-end registry operator will also create competition for the existing gTLDs, ccTLDs and their registry operators. This competition will drive each registry operator to improve its services and pricing and thereby benefit the entire Internet community.

New gTLDs will also create additional choices for consumers, and thus foster competition between the proposed TLDs and the existing unrestricted and restricted gTLDs and ccTLDs. Such competition will benefit consumers as it will encourage all registries to offer better services and prices. Domain name registrants will for the first time have an opportunity to choose the registry or registries with which they would like to do business.

The proposed TLDs consequently will increase choice and competition for the regional city community in an environment of national and international competition on investments.

Accordingly, we expect from ICANN to examine the degree to which the introduction of a new gTLD encourages competition between TLD registry operators, and the effects of such competition. Although the impact of competition in a marketplace may be difficult to measure over a short time period, The IMM will make its best effort to have the desired effect.

Finally, we expect that ICANN should study the degree to which effective marketing on the part of a new entrant is necessary to ensure real competition for registration services. If such competition requires an extensive marketing campaign, then only those that have the financial resources to conduct such a campaign should be selected to operate new TLDs. The IMM has already funded necessary contribution for marketing campaign and has a powerful marketing vehicles with large audience to support proposed TLDs advertisement.

Innovation

One of the important goals of the proposed TLD is to leverage innovation and create differentiation globally. The TLDs will offer the opportunity to create projects, ideas and new initiatives to individuals, enterprises and organization on a green field.

We believe that proposed TLDs will become an engine of innovation that will enable citizens and Istanbul to grow and thrive.

User Experience

As an unrestricted TLD, the proposed TLDs will serve businesses and individuals of all countries and classes.

The proposed TLDs will allow registrants the opportunity to establish an international-regional web presence, and reduce the need to register multiple domain names in other TLD spaces. Domain name registrants may then focus their resources on expanding the reach of their offerings and content, as well as their brand identity. Finally, the proposed TLDs will enable new registrants to enter the market and register domain names.

In addition, the TLDs will also unite people across the world under a city brand. People who lives, or formerly lived, visited or wants to visit, and do business or looking for business opportunities in Istanbul will be able to associate themselves as they are somehow connected to the Istanbul. Other locations worldwide with the same name, even if small villages or towns, shall also be part of the community. They will profit from the increased visibility of the city name and will have equal rights to register domain names under the TLD.

Through .istanbul and .ist TLDs, we hope to make the search for Istanbul City-related content easier than ever by providing individuals, entrepreneurs, organizations, non-profits and others a chance to own a virtual piece of the greatest city in the world.

The IMM Mission

The IMM Department of Information Technologiesʹ mission is to transform the way Istanbul City interacts with its residents, businesses, visitors and employees by leveraging technology to improve services and increase transparency, accountability and accessibility across all agencies.

In addition to IMMʹs mission, 2010-2012 Strategic Plan by Information and Communication Technologies Authority (ICTA) has three main goals that support the macro scale objective “creation of an information society”, (1) e-transform of public authorities⁄institutions, (2) Widespread use of electronic communication over broadband and (3) Efficient information security.

Within this context, goals of proposed TLDs are also to support ICTA strategic goals, launch new e-government initiatives, and increase Istanbul reputation globally.

By marketing and promoting the TLDs successfully, the IMM hopes to increase electronic communication, internet usage, and awareness of virtual worldʹs opportunities around the country.

We believe that the proposed TLDs will establish a focal point for bringing the benefits of the information society to the city community.
In recent years, the IMM has developed many projects promoting sustainable development in areas of urban transformation, social services for deprived citizens. Particularly, ongoing Istanbul Financial Center (ʺIFCʺ) project to support economic growth, and other innovative systems, will have also significant contribution to support proposed TLDs. These major projects will clench the position of Istanbul as a global-scale city. Istanbul will become the exemplary center of culture and arts, environment, humane living environments and health, sports and technology.

Within this context, strategies towards raising Istanbul’s rank among global cities will contribute to the proposed TLDs process and basic goal is that Istanbul should have its own TLD by its diversity of benefits community and quality of brand.

Privacy

The IMM is committed to being a responsible participant in the efforts of the Internet community to balance the need for data privacy with the need to provide access to records that allow the public to identity and contact domain name holders. To that end, the IMM will strive to maintain open access to registrant information to the extent compatible with applicable privacy laws and the its policy of treating all registrants equitably.
In addition, via the Registry Registrar Agreement (RRA), we will require registrars to post privacy policies that provide clear and complete notice to registrants of the type of data that will be collected and maintained by the IMM, the use of such data in operating the registry service, (including display through the Whois service), and the registrantʹs rights to access and correct data maintained by the IMM. Clear consent to such data practices will be a prerequisite to the submission of a domain name registration request.

In addition, for each type of Whois access (general queries, bulk access and enhanced searches), the IMM, via the registrars, will require customers to enter into an agreement prohibiting the customer from using the Whois database to send unsolicited e-mail to registrants, solicit them by telephone or use the database for other such commercial purposes.

The IMM and its back-end registry service provider itself will not use the Whois service to send unsolicited e-mail to registrants, to solicit registrants by telephone, or to otherwise engage in unauthorized uses of their data.

The IMMʹs goal is to improve the reliability and responsiveness of the TLD registry system at all levels through technological, business and policy advancements.

Registration Policies

The IMM will implement a global registration policies to achieve its goals. These are grouped under the following headings:
1. Registry Services through experienced, powerful, centralized registry service provider.
2. Start-up period Policies (Grandfathering, Sunrise A, Sunrise B, Landrush)
3. Registry Registrar Agreement (RRA)

The IMM expects a significant rush for domain name registrations during the period immediately following the initial opening of the TLD (the ʺStart-Up Periodʺ), after the close of the Landrush Period. In order to roll out the registry in a responsible fashion, and ensure proper and accurate processing of the registrations in a fair manner across all registrars, we will implement the following variations in its registry policies in coordinated with back-end registry service provider during the Start-Up Period which is expected to last for more than four months.

At least four months (120 days) prior to the proposed TLDs being opened to the general public, the IMM, in coordination with the intellectual property community, will make a general public announcement with the estimated date that it will open the proposed TLD to the general Internet community.

The IMM will implement a series of special policies with a detailed Launch Plan during a ʺStart-up Periodʺ. The Launch Plan will be intended to deter abusive and bad faith registrations of proposed TLDs Domain Names and to create a stable and effective launch of proposed TLD Domain Names for the benefit of the Internet community on a local and global level.

Schedule for Start-up

The IMM will introduce a detailed .TLD Launch Plan which intends to provide for the allocation of Domain Names in the proposed gTLD in a fair, orderly and equitable manner, and described in detailed at question #29 Rights Protection Mechanisms.

The following list provides a summary of the four phases of the Launch Plan:
- Phase 1: Grandfathering (one month). The IMM intend to provide one month timeframe for grandfathering for existing Registrants of Third Level Name(s) of .TR ccTLD.
- Phase 2: Sunrise (two months). Sunrise “Local (A)” for local trademarks, and Sunrise “Global (B)” for global trademarks.
- Phase 3: Landrush (one month): Period during which interested parties can seek to register Domain Names not previously registered through the Grandfather Process or Sunrise Process, or otherwise reserved by the Registry or Restricted by theses Launch Rules, but where the allocation of Domain Names is not done on a first-come, first-served basis.
- Phase 4: General Availability: As from the start of this phase, Domain Names that have not been previously registered can be registered on a first-come, first-served basis.

Length of Sunrise Registrations

The IMM believes that parties seeking domain name registrations during the Sunrise Periods will select as long a registration term as is available to them, in order to protect their valuable asset as a domain name for as long as possible. Therefore, domain name registrations that issue during the Sunrise Periods will have a minimum term of five years.

Registration

The Registry Registrar Agreement (RRA) will prohibit the purchase of domain names by registrars for any purpose except instances where the registrar has a bona fide intent to use that domain name on its own behalf.
gTLDFull Legal NameE-mail suffixDetail
.channelCharleston Road Registry Inc.google.comView
18.b. Benefits to Registrants, Internet Users, and Others

18.b.i.1. Specialty

Charleston Road Registry intends to apply for an exemption to ICANN’s Registry Operator Code of Conduct and operate the proposed gTLD with Google as the sole registrar and registrant. The proposed gTLD will specifically align with YouTube, an existing Google brand, and will provide select registrants with improved capabilities that meet their diverse needs.

The specialization goal of the proposed gTLD is to extend the YouTube brand and reputation to each .channel second-level domain and to provide select YouTube channels with a dedicated domain space for their registration and management. This specialization introduces a new domain name hierarchy that will generate new YouTube namespace and provide for registrantsʹ direct control of the introduction and phase out of their new or retiring content and offerings on a unqiue second-level domain within the .channel gTLD. This specialization makes it clear to Internet users that this is the authoritative and designated space where they can find select YouTube channel content offered in association with the Google and YouTube brands and accessible via differentiated and streamlined web addresses. This specialization will enhance Internet users’ current and future experience with YouTube.

18.b.i.2. Service Levels

Through its association with Google, Charleston Road Registry is uniquely positioned to enable and support the proposed gTLD by providing its service reliability and speed of delivery as a part of its services. Google brings unique expertise and a proven record of excellence in infrastructure operations: Google now runs the largest DNS system in the world, has industry-leading uptime on its services, such as web search, and offers enterprise services on which governments and businesses depend.

Charleston Road Registry’s service level goal for the proposed gTLD is to ensure that Google, as the proposed sole registrant, is supported in delivering the high level of quality, speed, and service to users for which it is known. Indeed, two of Google’s core principles in providing Internet search and related goods and services are “focus on the user and all else will follow” and “fast is better than slow.”

In focusing on the user, Google strives to provide the best user experience possible. Google will continue to operate under this principle when designing new offerings and providing goods and services within the proposed gTLD.

Google keeps speed in mind with each new product it releases, from faster mobile applications to improved Web browsers designed for rapid search and navigation. Google continues to devote its resources to improving speed and efficiency. In managing the proposed gTLD, Google expects to keep its service reliability and speed to this standard through direct management of all technical infrastructure related to DNS resolution other than the operation of the root servers.

Charleston Road Registry is committed to using the most technologically advanced, secure, and reliable registry services for all of the domain names within the gTLD so as to not compromise the service levels, security, and stability of the gTLD to users across the globe.

18.b.i.3. Reputation

Google has a proven record of providing high-quality, secure online services. Charleston Road Registry seeks to enhance Google’s reputation for excellence, superior quality, and high level of security and become known as an exemplary domain name services provider.

When Internet users visit a domain name in the proposed gTLD environment, they will be able to reliably expect and experience the high level of security and quality on which Google’s reputation has been built.

The registry will be structured so that Google registers and manages domain names in the .channel gTLD, that those domain names are used for only YouTube-related purposes, and that the registry is responsive to legal rights owners (if applicable).

As noted, Charleston Road Registry intends to apply for an exemption to ICANN’s Registry Operator Code of Conduct and operate the proposed gTLD with Google as the sole registrar and registrant. This facilitates Google’s ability to further enhance the YouTube brand and reputation of the Google offering.

In addition, Charleston Road Registry’s operation of the new gTLD will provide the opportunity for users to build and⁄or bolster their unique brands or tailor unique user identities in association with the proposed gTLD and YouTube.

18.b.ii.1. Competition

Charleston Road Registry supports the advancement of registry operators as a whole and the diffusion of gTLDs amongst diverse stakeholders to generate increased competition for the benefit of the Internet public. Increased competition will result in more competitive prices for consumers, generate efficiencies, increase productivity in enterprises, and spur innovation in the gTLD space.

Google will have the opportunity to differentiate and innovate upon its YouTube products and services through its use of the gTLD.

The proposed gTLD, .channel, will provide a new mechanism whereby select YouTube channels can distribute their respective channel content and related offerings. As another distribution channel for content distributors, the .channel gTLD will help grow the volume of video content on the Internet, thereby increasing competition among all content providers. The proposed gTLD will also spur increased competition among registries by creating a branded alternative to .com.

The proposed gTLD will promote competition in the gTLD space by inciting competitors to respond with improved gTLD operations, greater range and higher quality products and services integrated with domain name offerings, and⁄or the creation of their own respective gTLDs, to the benefit of all Internet users. Launching the proposed gTLD will also generate increased competition in the online marketplace by adding incremental availability to the second-level domain pool.

Charleston Road Registry intends to apply for an exemption to the ICANN Registry Operator Code of Conduct and to act as the sole registrar for the proposed gTLD. Given that the proposed gTLD is exclusively intended for use in connection with Googleʹs services, Charleston Road Registry believes that there is a reasonable case for such an exemption. Should ICANN not approve this proposed exemption, Charleston Road Registry will facilitate a fair and equitable registrar process, providing open access to any registrar who meets ICANN accreditation guidelines.

18.b.ii.2. Differentiation

The proposed gTLD will clearly be differentiated from other gTLDs due to its purposefully limited scope. This differentiation includes: (1) uniqueness in terms of the users the proposed gTLD seeks to benefit; (2) a clear indicator that second-level domains within the gTLD offer a particular, targeted content; (3) and because the gTLD will be associated with a Google offering, Internet users will immediately be able to rely on the quality of the product.

The gTLD will provide an authoritative environment for the provision of YouTube offerings. New, higher quality products offered in the gTLD will also attract new users to the Google offering.

The .channel gTLD will provide select registrants with the opportunity to differentiate their YouTube video offerings from other media distribution services by virtue of its branded gTLD. This signification is not currently available in the gTLD space.

18.b.ii.3. Innovation

The proposed gTLD is in itself innovative, as it seamlessly combines DNS services with other Google products and services. The proposed gTLD will promote further innovation by creating a new space for the categorization and classification of online content. It will also provide services to users that will enable them to improve their interaction with YouTube on the Internet. This environment delivers value to the public by introducing new and differentiated content and services.

The proposed gTLD, .channel, will promote innovation by encouraging other digital video content providers to provide linkages that fulfill the same need as YouTube will offer with to its select channel registrants. In addition, YouTube may choose to innovate within its portfolio of web spaces and introduce distinguishing feature(s) that further crystallize the relationship between content offered in the gTLD and the YouTube brand and reputation. The concentration of Internet users seeking digital video content in the .channel gTLD space, moreover, will likely invite user comparison among second-level domain sites, encouraging second-level domain registrant content innovation as a point of differentiation.

Charleston Road Registry considers the proposed gTLD to be a platform for innovation with existing and future Google products and services. Charleston Road Registry, therefore, may incorporate these new offerings into future registry service options (subject to the ICANN approval process), infusing new ideas into the gTLD for the betterment of the public.

Google consistently aims to improve upon technologies that connect people with information, as demonstrated by a proven record of innovation and iteration. Charleston Road Registry strives to offer its users this same level of continuous development in advancing its management and operation of the gTLD, engendering an improved user experience.

18.b.iii. User Experience

Charleston Road Registry will strive to provide the highest level of user experience through operational stability, security and performance to serve the interest of users in the proposed gTLD. Charleston Road Registry is uniquely positioned to provide this level of experience given its relationship with Google; per its SEC filings, Google invested over $3 billion in its IT infrastructure in 2011 and maintains a record of excellence in infrastructure operations.

Google keeps user experience in mind with each new service it releases, from allowing users to personalize their Gmail accounts to providing small to medium businesses with tools customized for their specific needs. The proposed gTLD provides Google with a formal mechanism whereby it can continue to improve its services to address the ever-changing needs of all Internet users.

The proposed gTLD, furthermore, facilitates an improved online user experience by provisioning the DNS on users’ behalf and streamlining the process by which users are able to link to and make use of the Google offering.

The .channel gTLD will provide YouTube with the opportunity to distinguish the web spaces it owns and operates from current spaces online. The proposed gTLD will deliver an improved YouTube user experience by making it easier for Internet users to more efficiently locate select YouTube content distributors offerings.

In focusing on the user, Google strives to provide the best user experience possible. Google will continue to operate under this principle when designing and providing new service offerings in the proposed gTLD. The proposed gTLD will provide users with improved customization services and facilitate additional opportunities to enhance their current and future experience with YouTube.

The proposed gTLD will provide a more trusted and user-friendly environment where domain names and content related to the .channel gTLD can flourish. Charleston Road Registry seeks to have users deem the gTLD trustworthy and reliable and recognize it as an aggregated source of YouTube channel content.

Lastly, the proposed gTLD improves the Internet user experience by creating greater structure and categorization on the Internet.

18.b.iv. Registration Policies

Because the sole purpose of the proposed gTLD is to associate domain names with the YouTube product, Charleston Road Registry intends to apply for an exemption to the ICANN Registry Operator Code of Conduct and operate the gTLD with Google as the sole registrar and registrant. As the sole registrant, Google will have the opportunity to differentiate and innovate upon its YouTube products and services through its use of the gTLD.

Given the proposed limited scope and use of the gTLD, Charleston Road Registry believes that there is a reasonable case for such an exemption. Should ICANN not condone this proposed exemption, Charleston Road Registry will make access to Registry Services, including the shared registration system, available to all ICANN-accredited registrars.

Charleston Road Registry believes that given its specific use related to YouTube, the .channel gTLD will best add value to the gTLD space by limiting all second-level domains to solely pointing at select content distributorsʹ YouTube offerings. Google, as the sole registrant, will manage the second-level domain eligibility and allocation process. Only select content distributors who meet YouTube’s eligibility criteria will be eligible for a second-level domain within the gTLD.

Charleston Road Registry is committed to implementing strong and integrated intellectual property rights protection mechanisms. Doing so is critical to Google’s goals of model Internet citizenship and fostering Internet development, especially in emerging regions. Accordingly, Charleston Road Registry intends to offer a suite of rights protection measures which builds upon ICANNʹs required policies while fulfilling our commitment to encouraging innovation, competition and choice on the Internet.

18.b.v. Protection of Privacy and Confidential Information

Charleston Road Registry will strive to ensure the appropriate level of privacy and security will be met for its users. Although Google will be the only registrant (and is intended to serve as the only registrar for the gTLD as well), Charleston Road Registry and its provider of registry services, Google, have imposed measures to achieve this protection for their users; additional specifics regarding the practices for the registry include but are not limited to the following:

- Since Google will be the only registrant, personally identifying information regarding individual users will not be sent to or stored by the registry. Such data will remain on Google’s infrastructure used to provide the individual service, and is subject to Google’s existing privacy policy.

- Charleston Road Registry will attempt to prevent the misuse of WHOIS data for improper purposes such as spam, intellectual property theft or phishing. Charleston Road Registry will attempt to identify patterns of abusive usage of the WHOIS service and will appropriately use CAPTCHA, query throttling or other techniques to prevent information scraping.

- Google will restrict access to data and information systems maintained by the registry to a specific list of individuals involved with supporting the Google Registry system in production. Google will review this list on a periodic basis to ensure that the level of access granted to individuals is appropriate. Google uses two-factor authentication and other mechanisms to ensure that staff with access to user information are properly identified prior to using registry systems.

- In the event that other registrars are involved, registrar billing and payment information will not be stored alongside domain name registration information. All registrar billing and payment information will be stored in a PCI-compliant billing system similar to that used by Google Ads.

Beyond these specific mechanisms, both Charleston Road Registry and Google will govern its approach to privacy by the Google Privacy Policy. This policy applies to registrars, registrants and end users of registry services such as DNS zone publication and WHOIS data publication. The Privacy Policy is located at http:⁄⁄www.google.com⁄policies⁄privacy⁄.

18.b.vi. Outreach and Communications Efforts

Once Google begins developing public-facing resources in its gTLD, it intends to inform the public about the gTLD and the opportunity for users to obtain domain space there through marketing and public relation investments.

Charleston Road Registry, in conjunction with Google, intends to promote gTLDs under its purview collectively, such that the public gains an awareness and understanding of new gTLDs and the availability of new second-level domain space on the Internet. Charleston Road Registry and Google believe that this approach will make the strongest impact in modifying consumer behavior and is the best path to achieving success for all new gTLDs collectively.

Charleston Road Registry and Google will reach out to the Internet community via a number of different outreach and communications methods and venues to deliver its mission and message to the public, including but not limited to: press briefings, videos posted on various Internet sites, blogs and other social media, and paid advertising. In addition, when developing resources for localized Internet registrars in different global regions, Google will use local marketing and communications platforms as needed.