18(c) What operating rules will you adopt to eliminate or minimize social costs?

Prototypical answer:

DESCRIPTION OF .MELBOURNE REGISTRATION POLICIES

Registration policy:

Registration in the .melbourne gTLD will only be open to registrants meeting the eligibility requirements set out in the registration policy:
– All registrants must possess and register using an address in Victoria, Australia.
– Domain names must constitute a close and substantial match to an applicant’s identity.
– Domain names must not be inconsistent with the mission and purpose of the .melbourne TLD.

No other third parties will be able to register domain names under the .melbourne domain space. Further, DBI will prohibit proxy registrations in order to maintain the integrity of the .melbourne gTLD as a dedicated space in which only the above-listed eligible registrants may register domain names, in accordance with the .melbourne gTLD’s mission and purpose.

It is therefore not anticipated that third parties and⁄or trademark owners that have no connection to the Melbourne location will incur costs in relation to the .melbourne gTLD. The entities wishing to register domain names must warrant that all the policy requirements for registration are satisfied. DBI will utilise the services of the proposed Trademark Clearinghouse to ensure that domain names registered are consistent with intellectual property rights recorded in the Clearinghouse. In case there would be competing applications by registered trademark holders during the first phase of the envisaged 30 day sunrise period, these applications will be resolved by auction.

As a result of the imposition of eligibility restrictions, it is estimated that money spent by consumers who have been targeted by malicious abuse in utilising services over the internet will reduce over time as a result of the new .melbourne gTLD. By encouraging registrants to communicate and interact with internet users under the .melbourne gTLD, social costs will be minimised since registrants can have high trust in the TLD as a sustainable, long-term asset that has the full support of the governments of the State of Victoria and the City of Melbourne.

Sunrise Policy:

The .melbourne Sunrise Policy will provide that applications received by a Registrar within a 30-day sunrise round and satisfying the Sunrise Eligibility Requirements (SERs) will be accepted for participation in the relevant sunrise round. All sunrise registrants must meet the general eligibility requirements of the TLD. SERs are as follows:
– Sunrise 1 group A: Trademark holders satisfying (i), (iii) and (iv) of the SERs proposed in the Applicant Guidebook at TMCH s6.2.3, registering an identical match to their TMCH entries. Trademarks must fall within s7.2 of the Applicant Guidebook (TMCH) and be supported by proof of entry in the TMCH.
– Sunrise 1 group B: Government bodies in Victoria registering an exact match or obvious abbreviation or acronym of government department names or an exact match of names of a substantial official activity or initiative.
– Sunrise 2: Businesses physically present in Victoria, registering an exact match of their registered business name.

The Sunrise Policy will specify that by making a sunrise application (or, where relevant, by agreeing to participate in an auction), an applicant agrees to purchase the domain if it is allocated to the applicant.
A Sunrise Dispute Resolution Policy (SDRP) will be adopted to allow any party to raise a challenge on the four grounds identified in the Applicant Guidebook at TMCH s6.2.4, in addition to the following:
– a domain name registered by a government body was not at the time of registration an exact match or obvious abbreviation or acronym of government department names or an exact match of names of a substantial official activity or initiative.
– a domain name registered by a business in Victoria was not at the time of registration an exact match to that business’s registered name.
– at the time the challenged domain name was registered, the registrant was not a business physically present in Victoria.
The remedy will be cancellation or deletion of a successfully challenged domain. All registrants will be required to submit to proceedings under the SDRP, which will specify that SDRP claims may be raised after registration of a sunrise domain and will require that complaints clearly identify the challenger, the challenged domain, and the ground⁄s on which the complaint is based.
The Sunrise Policy and SDRP are described in detail in the response to Question 29.

ALLOCATION OF DOMAIN NAMES

Competing applications for a domain name in the .melbourne gTLD will be addressed in the following manner:

1. Sunrise period:

DBI will implement two thirty-day sunrise rounds and will resolve multiple applications for a particular domain name in each round as follows:
– Round 1 group A for trademark holders with an identical match to Trademark Clearinghouse entries. Competing applications will be resolved by auction.
– Round 1 group B for government bodies with an exact match to or obvious abbreviation or acronym of a government department name or exact match of names of a substantial official activity or initiative. Competing applications will be resolved through a mediation process managed by the State Government of Victoria. In the event of any conflicting applications between trademark holders (Round 1 Group A) and government bodies (Round 1 Group B), trademark holders will have priority.
– Round 2 for businesses registered in Victoria, Australia. Competing applications will be resolved by auction. However, due to the exact match requirement, the likelihood of multiple applications for a particular domain name is anticipated to be low.

2. Landrush period:

DBI will implement a 60-day landrush period during which all registrants meeting the general eligibility criteria may apply to register domain names. Competing applications received during this period will be resolved by auction.

3. General Availability:

Any registrants meeting the eligibility criteria as set out in the registration policy will be able to apply and domain names will be registered on a first-come⁄first-served basis.

COST BENEFITS FOR REGISTRANTS

The .melbourne gTLD will provide a locality-specific internet space that will increase the service levels, relevance and accuracy of information that is available to the broader community of internet users, thus contributing towards a more trusted and positive user experience. The .melbourne gTLD specifically targets Melbourne, Victoria and is devoted to the needs of the businesses, organisations, government bodies and individuals who live, work and play in or are otherwise connected to Melbourne. As such, .melbourne domain names are a unique product and offer unique, high value services of distinction and geo-identification. The price of .melbourne domain names will be set in line with this high value proposition and will be consistent with the goal of attracting serious investors seeking to develop the namespace while also deterring and limiting speculation.

CONTRACTUAL COMMITMENTS TO REGISTRANTS

DBI intends to provide registrants with advance written notice of price increases, as required under the Registry Agreement, but does not intend to make any further contractual commitments regarding the magnitude of price escalations. In this regard, DBI will offer flexibility to adapt to any unanticipated changes in the market.

Similar gTLD applications: (1)