gTLD	Full Legal Name	E-mail suffix	Detail
.neustar	NeuStar, Inc.	neustar.biz	View

Neustar believes the .neustar top-level domain will play a vital role in revolutionizing the Internet by adding greater specificity to the namespace, as well as serving as a platform to expand its online presence and improve branding efforts. One of Neustar’s overall goals is to ensure that the .neustar top-level domain becomes a trusted, secure, and stable operation that Internet users can trust as the true source of information from Neustar.

The .neustar gTLD will ensure that customer entities relying on Neustar branded services for critical infrastructure will have a secure domain in which to share the proprietary and confidential information with Neustar.  Neustar will also be able to provide and maintain individual service level agreements (SLAs) with customers desiring guaranteed availability.

The .neustar gTLD will add to the content space by providing a clear and unambiguous location at which to secure services from Neustar.  Neustarʹs reputation of trusted neutrality, along with our history of providing secure and reliable services to the industries we serve require that we protect our brand for ourselves and our customers with a single gTLD.

More specifically, Neustarʹs goals for the .neustar gTLD are to:
1. Provide a single, secure location for all Neustar-branded services;
2. Ensure no customer confusion regarding location of Neustar-branded services; and
3. Provide the Internet community a single location for interacting with Neustar.

Neustar believes that a proposed .neustar gTLD has the potential to offer the following benefits to Internet users and consumers:
* Establish a trusted source of information for the thousands of Neustar customers who purchase Neustar’s services, for investors and third parties seeking information about Neustar, and for the general Internet user population;
* Provide Neustar and its affiliates with short and memorable Internet addresses;
* Provide increased navigation to products, services, advertising campaigns, public interest content, public awareness initiatives, etc;
* Through the adoption of new gTLDs by the wider Internet user community, consumers may benefit from a lower incidence of phishing and malware often associated with mistypes of domain names in the .com space that are owned by cybersquatters, since consumers will be navigating to domain names in the .neustar gTLD; and
* Minimize the cost and need for defensive registrations because domain names will only be allocated by Neustar within the .neustar gTLD to Neustar and qualified subsidiaries and affiliates.

18(b)1 What is the goal of your proposed gTLD in terms of areas of specialty, service levels, or reputation?

The .neustar top-level domain will be a safe, stable, and secure operation. As stated above, Neustar is well-known within the ICANN and global Internet community for its provision of domain name registry services in compliance with the strictest industry-leading service levels since its award of the .biz gTLD by ICANN in 2000. Neustar has historically met or exceeded its service level obligations for all of the TLDs it operates, including .biz and .us as well as .co, .tel and .travel for which it provides back-end registry services. Neustar has a history of operating a number of mission-critical services in addition to its registry operations, including the maintenance of the North American Numbering Plan and Local Number Portability which ensure the appropriate routing of all telephone calls in North America and DNS services for many of the top Fortune 500 companies in the world. The operation of each of these services must be at a level at or above those required in the current ICANN Registry Agreement for new gTLDs.


18(b)2 What do you anticipate your proposed gTLD will add to the current space, in terms of competition, differentiation, or innovation?
As a branded gTLD, the primary driving factors of a .neustar gTLD are differentiation and innovation. The success of the gTLD will be measured not by the number of domain names registered, but rather by the level of consumer recognition and trust that is placed in the .neustar gTLD. Using this benchmark, Neustar will strive to build consumer recognition and trust through usage of the .neustar gTLD.

The .neustar gTLD will simplify how internet users interact with Neustar’s services by providing a distinctive domain space. Internet users will be able to directly navigate to the .neustar gTLD site, as well as particular pages within the .neustar gTLD, saving time and resources searching for an official site. The current domain name system has shown that it is vulnerable to malicious abuses due to registration of domain names which seek to exploit consumer confusion. Neustar can address some of these vulnerabilities by maintaining complete control over the domain names registered under the .neustar domain space.

18(b)3 What goals does your proposed gTLD have in terms of user experience?
Neustar believes that the .neustar gTLD will provide a single trusted ecosystem experience for the thousands of consumers worldwide who purchase the company’s services, as well as those who seek information about Neustar, including investors and members of the press. Consumers will know that domains and content on .neustar are owned and controlled by Neustar and are thus more likely to be protected from infringing, pirated, or harmful content.

The initial use of the .neustar gTLD will involve a limited number of second-level domain names. This initial use will provide Neustar the ability to ensure seamless and secure access to the Neustar website and interoperability with various software and Web⁄mobile-based applications. After consideration of the following factors: analysis of Neustar’s existing domain name portfolio; internal analysis of marketing initiatives; and the fact that Neustar will have full control over the number of registrations in the .neustar gTLD namespace, Neustar reasonably assumes that the number of domain name registrations will be far less than 10,000 in the first five years of operation.

18(b)4 Provide a complete description of the applicant’s intended registration policies in support of the goals listed above.
Neustar currently intends for the .neustar gTLD to be used exclusively by Neustar and its qualified subsidiaries and affiliates. As Neustar intends to use the gTLD for its own branding purposes, most of the registration policies will be written into existing corporate policies. Neustar will implement the following registration policies:
1. .neustar Domain Name Eligibility Requirements
2. Acceptable Use Policy
3. Reserved Names
4. Rights Protection Mechanisms
5. ICANN Consensus Policies

1. Neustar Domain Name Eligibility Requirements
The .neustar Domain Registration Eligibility policy sets forth the guidelines that dictate the allowable labels for domain name registrations, who or what entities may register the names, how the names may be used as well as the technical criteria each name must meet.

Neustar proposes that only Neustar, its qualified subsidiaries and affiliates will be allowed to request second level domain registrations. Neustar will implement an internal process that will define how they can submit second-level registration requests and the process which will be used to approve such registrations. Neustar envisions having a domain management department that will be responsible for the receipt of domain name registration requests from specially designated and approved managers (Domain Manager) though a documented internal request form. Once the Domain Manager receives a registration request, an internal review will be completed to ensure the name complies with internal policies and procedures governing the registration of .neustar domain name as well as complies with the technical specifications in the ICANN Agreement. Once the name has undergone the standard review, and is deemed in compliance with internal rules and procedures, the name will be approved and submitted through an ICANN-Accredited Registrar for registration.

Neustar believes that it is eligible to an exemption to the ICANN Code of Conduct (Specification 9 of the new gTLD Registry Agreement). Neustar believes that limiting the number of registrars is important in order to protect the integrity of the brand and as such serves the public interest. Many of the registration terms for second level domain names will match those found in existing TLDs. The registration term will be allowed for one to ten years. At no point are domain registrations allowed for more years than the maximum registration term of 10 years or the minimum term of one year. Additional details regarding the registration, renewal, and transfer terms can be found in answer to Question 23 regarding Registry Services.

2. Acceptable Use Policy
Neustar intends to be the sole registrant in the .neustar gTLD, and will implement an Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) to ensure that Neustar maintains all rights of registered names to protect the integrity of its registry, and achieve its goal of maintaining a safe and stable operation. The AUP also documents any restrictions related to use of the domain name and how the registry, may enforce its policies. More information on the AUP can be found in Neustar’s response to Question 28.

3. Reserved names
Neustar will comply with Specification 5 of the ICANN new gTLD Registry Agreement by initially reserving all names as required by Specification 5. These names will include:
* The label ʺEXAMPLEʺ as required by ICANN
* All two character labels will be initially reserved. Provisions for the release of these names is further described in relation to Neustar’s response to Question 22
* Tagged domain names (labels with a hyphen (ʺ-ʺ) in the third or fourth positions will only be allowed if they represent a valid internationalized domain name (IDN) in their ASCII encoding.
* Second level names for registry operations, defined by ICANN as: NIC, WWW, IRIS, and WHOIS.
* Country and territory names listed on the following internationally recognized lists will be initially reserved:
1. the ISO 3166-1 list including the short form and long form English versions,
2. United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names, Technical Reference manual for the Standardization of Geographical Names, Part III Names of Countries of the World
3. The list of United Nations member states in 6 official United Nations languages prepared by the Working Group on Country Names of the United Nations Conference on the Standardization of Geographical Names

However, Neustar does believe that certain 2-letter names and country and territory names may be used in a manner unlikely to cause confusion with the country-codes, countries or territories and therefore is exploring ways in which such names may be released in accordance with ICANN policies and avoids consumer confusion. Please see Neustar’s response to question 22 for more information on the protection of Geographic Names.

4. Rights Protection Mechanisms
Neustar is committed to following all ICANN rules regarding protecting third party intellectual property rights within its TLD. Neustar plans to operate and maintain the .neustar space as an extension of its current branding activities, therefore, it is highly unlikely that names in the zone will interfere with the rights of other third parties.

Nevertheless, Neustar plans to implement all Rights Protection Mechanisms (RPMs) as required by ICANN. These RPMs include the following, which are further explained in answer to Question 18 Part C as well as Question 29.
* Trademark Clearinghouse
* Sunrise and Trademark Claims Process
* Implementation of the Uniform Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP)
* Implementation of the Uniform Rapid Suspension (URS) mechanism

18(b)5 Will your proposed gTLD impose any measures for protecting the privacy or confidential information of registrants or users? If so, please describe any such measures.

As a United States public company with customers located around the globe, Neustar respects the privacy of its customers and other consumers. Neustar employs a variety of physical, electronic, contractual, and managerial safeguards to protect personal and confidential information through its services and on its websites. Neustar will take similar precautions to protect registrant and user data associated with the .neustar gTLD. Furthermore, given that every domain name will be registered to Neustar or a qualified subsidiary⁄affiliate, Neustar has a vested interest in ensuring that accurate and current registrant information is readily available in connection with each .neustar domain name.

Neustar will ensure that the operation of the .neustar TLD will be consistent with Neustar’s Privacy Policy, available on its website at http:⁄⁄www.neustar.biz⁄privacy.

18(b)6 Describe whether and in what ways outreach and communications will help to achieve your projected benefits.
The switch over to .neustar as the authoritative namespace for the Neustar brand will require a fair amount of time and effort to ensure that user confusion does not occur. Therefore, Neustar will incorporate the .neustar name into its existing marketing, outreach and communications activities in a calculated and deliberate fashion to ensure these goals are met.

Additionally, Neustar will implement an effective pre-delegation communications plan that will help users become aware of that the scope of the Internet is expanding and Neustar has elected to brand is primary web presence under the .neustar top level domain. After Neustar has implemented and announced its new web presence the focus on communications will cautiously lead users from the old domain name to the new domain names under the .neustar TLD.

gTLD	Full Legal Name	E-mail suffix	Detail
.TDK	TDK Corporation	urbanbrain.com	View

ICANN has determined that launching the new gTLD program is inline with its mission to increase competition and innovation in the namespace. TLDs operated by brands will cause an entire paradigm shift in how users navigate the web by eliminating user confusion while at the same time reducing the potential for malicious use of the DNS.

TDK believes the ʺ.TDKʺ top-level domain will play a vital role in revolutionizing the Internet by adding greater specificity to the namespace, as well as serving as a platform to expand its online presence and improve branding efforts. One of TDK’s overall goals is to ensure that the ʺ.TDKʺ top-level domain becomes a trusted, secure, and stable operation that Internet users can trust as the true source of information from TDK Corporation.

TDK proposes to limit second level domain name registrations to TDK, its subsidiaries, and member companies and plans to implement internal registration policies to ensure that registered names will be used by only authorized personnel in a manner that promotes the mission of the company and abides by the strictest of corporate standards expected by those using the “.TDK” name. Owning and operating the “.TDK” top-level domain will allow TDK to tailor its online presence with short, custom, memorable names, as well as market its products and services without the concerns of finding an appropriate generic domain name in the existing namespace. TDK’s aim is to create an advanced and trusted online space that provides secure and stable access to TDK’s products and services.

TDK, is confident that its customers, perspective customers and the global Internet community will benefit substantially with the knowledge that any “.TDK” domain name contains only authorized secure content approved by TDK.


i. What is the goal of your proposed gTLD in terms of areas of specialty, service levels, or reputation?

The “.TDK” top-level domain will be a safe, stable, and secure operation. TDK believes that it is important to define internal policy as to how the TLD will be structured. TDK is in the process of mapping out a well-organized namespace in order to create a logical, intuitive structure that cultivates trust among its users.

As stated above, TDK has enlisted the services of Neustar, the existing registry operator for .BIZ, .US, and the back-end provider for numerous gTLDs and ccTLDs that have historically operated well in excess of the SLAs proposed by ICANN in the New gTLD Applicant Guidebook. Neustar has a history of operating a number of mission-critical services in addition to its registry operations, including the maintenance of the North American Numbering Plan and Local Number Portability, each of which ensures the appropriate routing of all telephone calls in North America as well as DNS services for many of the top Fortune 500 companies in the world. TDK’s reputation for industry leading electronic solutions coupled with Neustar’s reputation for the operation of secure and robust namespaces make for a potent combination to ensure that the operation of the “.TDK” registry will exceed all ICANN service level requirements and provide users with a reliable namespace


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

This unparalleled opportunity for to own and operate its own Internet namespace presents TKD with the ability to enhance the collective experience of global Internet users as well as spark innovation and creativity in the way TDK communicates to its customers, suppliers, partners and the general public. Building a quality namespace is key to building trust with Internet users as well as in adding to the brand value of TDK.

Traditionally when developing a new service, global companies will perform a search of available domain names to ensure the corresponding service name is available. Companies place a priority on ensuring that the naming conventions are consistent to convey coherency as to not confuse end users. In Japan, it is natural for most companies look for a name under “.co.jp”, “.jp”, and “.com”. These TLDs represent the most desirable names because of the level of trust customers have in them and the likelihood that customers will directly navigate to names under these TLDs. Owning and operating its own TLD will allow TDK to reduced dependency on current naming conventions and deploy a better selection of names that are easier for consumers to remember and key into the browser. The new naming conventions under the “.TDK” TLD will allow for shorter, intuitive names, whereas in the past TDK may have had to use a subdomain, a hyphenated domain registration, or a long URL for a particular service.

The “.TDK” top-level domain will communicate specificity and trustworthiness to end users seeking specific information about TDK, its products, and other services it provides.


iii. What goals does your proposed gTLD have in terms of user experience?

TDK will allocate a significant amount of time and resources to effectively launch the “.TDK” top-level domain. TDK will take a well-thought-out and deliberate approach to launching the TLD and structuring registrations in a uniform and logical way. TDK is confident that this approach will allow its customers and Internet users to experience a seamless transition from names they have grown accustomed to over the years to a new structure under ʺ.TDKʺ.

Under its own top-level domain, TDK will have access to vast amount of creative domain names that will allow it to create shorter, more intuitive and memorable names that have a strong relationship with the content of a particular product or service. TDK will have total control over the space, which will enable users to experience a safe online communications channel free of any abusive registrations. TDK is confident that is customers will experience an intuitive way to navigate to relevant content and services provided by TDK without ever having to worry about the legitimacy of the content.

TDK envisions incorporating “.TDK” domain names in its marketing strategy to increase the awareness and effectiveness of the new dedicated namespace. Marketing communications will include billboards, print media, television spots, and other communication outlets.

TDK is prepared to take the necessary steps to ensure that the TLD is operational in a timeframe according to the ICANN contract specifications. TDK will only proactively introduce the new TLD to Internet users once proper preparations have been made in an effort to minimize consumer confusion.


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

Operating a safe, stable, and secure top-level domain for the TDK brand is central component to TDK’s goals in using the TLD as new method for improving communications and brand promotion. TDK has extensively studied the registration policies and launch processes for several current TLDs. While some components may be similar, the launch of a TLD specifically operated by a brand is uncharted. Therefore, TDK believes that the primary objective of its launch policies should be to maximize the branding opportunity for TDK as whole while ensuring that the overall user experience is improved. TDK intends to use the TLD for its own branding purposes, and therefore, proposes that the registration policies be written into existing corporate policies. TDK will implement the following registration policies:

1. .TDK Domain Name Eligibility Requirements
2. Acceptable Use Policy
3. Reserved Names Policy
4. Rights Protection Mechanisms
5. ICANN Consensus Policies


1. “.TDK” Domain Name Eligibility Requirements

The .TDK Domain Registration Eligibility policy sets forth the guidelines that dictate the allowable labels for domain name registrations, who or what entities may register the names, how the names may be used as well as the technical criteria each name must meet.

1a Registrations

TDK proposes that only TDK Corporation, its subsidiaries, and group companies will be allowed to request second level domain registrations. TDK will implement an internal process that will define how relevant entities can submit second-level registration requests and the process that will be used to approve such registrations.

TDK envisions having a domain management department that will be responsible for the receipt of domain name registration requests from specially designated and approved managers (Domain Manager) though a documented internal request form. Once the Domain Manager receives a registration request, an internal review will be completed to ensure the name complies with internal policies and procedures governing the registration of “.TDK” domain names as well as with the technical specifications in the ICANN Agreement. Once the name has undergone the standard review, and is deemed in compliance with internal rules and procedures, the name will be approved and submitted through an ICANN-Accredited Registrar for registration.

TDK believes that it is eligible for an exemption to the ICANN Code of Conduct (Specification 9 of the new gTLD Registry Agreement). If the exemption is granted, TDK has already enlisted the services of Interlink Co, Ltd, an ICANN accredited registrar since 2006 to act as its registrar. TDK believes that limiting the number of registrars is important in order to protect the integrity of the brand, and as such, serves the public interest.

The registration terms for second level domain names will match with existing TLDs. The registration term will be allowed for one to ten years. At no point are domain registrations allowed for more years than the maximum registration term of 10 years or the minimum term of one year. Additional details regarding the registration, renewal, and transfer terms can be found in answer to Question 23 regarding Registry Services.


1b. Domain Restrictions

A domain name that will be accepted as valid for registration is a domain name that;

　• has not been blocked or reserved by the registry (see Reserved Names policy below)
　• meets the technical requirements (defined below)
　• has not already been registered (registrants will be encouraged to use the WHOIS database provided by the registry
　to ensure the availability of a domain)


1c. Technical Specifications

The technical specifications for allowable labels will follow the standard criteria briefly outlined below:

　• Labels containing the letters ʺaʺ to ʺzʺ or ʺAʺ to ʺZʺ in standard US ASCII character set, the digits ʺ0ʺ to ʺ9ʺ
　　and the hyphen (ʺ-ʺ).
　• Labels may contain a maximum of 63 characters. (This does not include the ʺ.TDKʺ suffix)
　• Labels may not begin or end with a hyphen (ʺ-ʺ) and may not include a hyphen (ʺ-ʺ) in the third and fourth
　　positions unless they represent valid internationalized domain names in their ASCII encoding).


2. Acceptable Use Policy

TDK intends to be the sole registrant in the “.TDK” TLD, and will implement an Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) to ensure that TDK maintains all rights of registered names to protect the integrity of its registry and achieve its goal of maintaining a safe and stable operation. The AUP describes the process for applying for, registering, renewing, and transferring a “.TDK” domain name. The AUP also documents any restrictions related to use of the domain name and how the registry, may enforce its policies.

The AUP for “.TDK” will clearly delineate the types of activities that constitute ʺabuseʺ and any repercussions associated with abusive domain name registrations. A draft version of the AUP can be found in the answer to Question 28: Abuse Prevention and Mitigation.


3. Reserved Names Policy

TDK will comply with Specification 5 of the ICANN new gTLD Registry Agreement by initially reserving all names as required. These names will include:

　• The label ʺEXAMPLEʺ as required by ICANN
　• All two character labels will be initially reserved. Provisions for the release of these names is further
　　described in relation to question Question 22: Protection of Geographic Names.
　• Tagged domain names (labels with a hyphen (ʺ-ʺ) in the third or fourth positions will only be allowed if
　　they represent a valid internationalized domain name (IDN) in their ASCII encoding.
　• Second level names for registry operations, defined by ICANN as: NIC, WWW, IRIS, and WHOIS.
　• Country and territory names listed on the following internationally recognized lists will be initially reserved:
　　　1. the ISO 3166-1 list including the short form and long form English versions,
　　　2. United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names, Technical Reference manual for the
　　　　Standardization of Geographical Names, Part III Names of Countries of the World
　　　3. The list of United Nations member states in 6 official United Nations languages prepared by the
　　　　Working Group on Country Names of the United Nations Conference on the Standardization of
　　　　Geographical Names

TDK does believe that certain 2-letter names and country and territory names may be used in manners unlikely to cause confusion with the country-codes, countries or territories and therefore is exploring ways in which such names may be released in accordance with ICANN policies and in a manner that avoids consumer confusion. Please see TDK’s response to Question 22 for more information on the protection of Geographic Names.


4. Rights Protection Mechanisms

TDK is committed to following all ICANN rules regarding protecting third party intellectual property rights within its TLD. TDK plans to operate and maintain the ʺ.TDKʺ space as an extension of it current branding activities, therefore, it is highly unlikely that names in the zone will interfere with the rights of other third parties. Nevertheless, TDK plans to implement all Rights Protection Mechanisms (RPMs) as required by ICANN. These RPMs include the following, which are further explained in answer to Question 18 Part C and Question 29: Rights Protection Mechanisms.

　• Trademark Clearinghouse
　• Sunrise and Trademark Claims Process
　• Implementation of the Uniform Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP)
　• Implementation of the Uniform Rapid Suspension (URS) mechanism.


5. ICANN Consensus Policies

TDK is aware of and understands all current ICANN consensus policies listed at http:⁄⁄www.icann.org⁄en⁄general⁄consensus-policies.htm, and is committed to comply with all policies during its time as a registry operator.


v. Will your proposed gTLD impose any measures for protecting the privacy or confidential information of registrants or users? If so, please describe any such measures.

TDK will allocate domain names internally to its subsidiaries, group companies, and other contracted parties for purposes of doing business under the TDK name. Information deemed necessary to fulfill WHOIS requirements will be recorded in the public WHOIS database. All other information will be protected under contractual requirements and such information will be safeguarded from loss, destruction, tampering, leakage, etc. TDK is currently in compliance with all relevant laws, regulations and other rules, and will remain in compliance with any changes made by relevant authorities.

TDK is well aware of the requirement to adhere to specific ICANN consensus policies and will ensure that all contracted parties implement and abide by ICANN consensus policies. Additionally, TDK and its contracted parties are aware of the current work being done to analyze the current WHOIS model as well as the movement to improve it. Our partners are involved deeply in the ICANN community and we commit to implementing any and all new procedures as approved and implemented by ICANN.

Furthermore, TDK has implemented a website privacy statement and a general privacy policy, which can be found in English and Japanese respectively at the following links:

http:⁄⁄www.tdk.com⁄privacy.php.
http:⁄⁄www.tdk.co.jp⁄privacy⁄


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

The switch over to ʺ.TDKʺ as the authoritative namespace for the TDK brand will require a fair amount of time and effort to ensure that user confusion does not occur. Therefore, TDK will incorporate the ʺ.TDKʺ name into its existing marketing, outreach and communications activities in a calculated and deliberate fashion to ensure these goals are met.

Additionally, TDK will implement an effective pre-delegation communications plan that will help users become aware that the scope of the Internet is expanding and TDK has elected to brand is primary online presence under the “.TDK” top-level domain. After TDK has implemented and announced its new web presence the focus on communications will cautiously lead users from conventional domain names to new domain names under the “.TDK” TLD.