20(b) Explain the applicant's relationship to the community identified in 20(a)

Prototypical answer:

- Relations to any community organizations and relations to the community and its Constituent parts⁄groups.

The applicant is a subsidiary of GMO Internet, Inc. (“GMO” – listed on the first section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange [9449]), and member of the GMO Internet Group with headquarters in Tokyo, Japan. GMO has always been a leading force in the Internet industry offering one of the most comprehensive ranges of Internet services worldwide. Its business operations offer a one-stop suite of web business solution services that include domain name registration, web hosting, web design, Internet security, ecommerce tools, and payment processing.

More than 700,000 members of the target community in Japan are already using business solutions offered by GMO. These services include ecommerce solution services, payment systems and gateways, hosting, and online security-related services including Security Socket Layer (SSL).

The applicant has proposed its .SHOP initiative to various organizations referred to previously, and has obtained various letters of endorsement and support for this initiative.


- Accountability mechanisms of the applicant to the community.

The Applicant has and will continue to reach out to various international, regional and national organizations that represent the interests of the targeted community, in particular if and when ICANN awards the .SHOP gTLD to the applicant. Following delegation, the applicant will devise clear policies together with some of these organizations that represent the community in a way that would benefit the members and their interests.

The Applicant will publish a charter containing self-imposed rules and guidelines with respect to the operation of the .SHOP TLD.

Also, with respect to the .SHOP initiative, the Applicant will set up a policy advisory committee, in which representatives of the targeted community can, together with representatives of the registry operator, develop new policies in relation to the operation of the .SHOP TLD. Expressions of interest for becoming a member of such a committee have already been received by the Applicant.

Furthermore, the Applicant will set up an oversight committee, comprising representatives of the targeted community, who will formulate recommendations with respect to the positioning, marketing and operation of the TLD.

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