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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
.pwcPwC Business Trustcscinfo.comView
b) How do you expect that your proposed gTLD will benefit registrants, Internet users, and others?

Answers should address the following points:
i. What is the goal of your proposed gTLD in terms of areas of specialty, service levels, or reputation?
• The goal of the proposed (.pwc) gTLD in terms of specialty, service levels and reputation are:
o Specialty – Applicant’s company is a market leader in the professional services industry. With the continued growth of the online channel in importance and significance, it is critical that Applicant and its affiliated entities utilize all new online tools available to ensure current and potential product⁄service customers can quickly find authorized, accurate information. The proposed (. pwc ) will help Applicant increase consumer confidence in online content it makes available through websites utilizing its gTLD and provide a trusted destination for consumers to research product offerings.
o Service levels –One of the key goals of the proposed (.pwc) gTLD is to create a restricted, exclusively-controlled online environment for employees, customers (current and potential), suppliers and other business partners which will increase customer confidence and trust in conducting business online. Through greater use of online tools by employees, customers (current and potential), suppliers and other business partners, Applicant’s company expects to further streamline business processes, reduce turn-around times, provide more personalized service and improve overall customer⁄client service.
o Reputation – Applicant’s company has a reputation of excellence in customer satisfaction and innovation. With the online channel growing in importance, one of the goals of the proposed (. pwc ) gTLD is to position Applicant’s company to meet future customer expectations and competitive market demands to ensure it can continue to grow its reputation.


ii. What do you anticipate your proposed gTLD will add to the current space, in terms of competition, differentiation, or innovation?
iii. PwC Business Trust plans to operate the proposed (.pwc) gTLD as a restricted, exclusively-controlled TLD and as such it will not be commercially offered for registration to the general public. Thus, PwC Business Trust will have exclusive ownership over all second-level registrations within the TLD. As a result, we believe the proposed (.pwc) gTLD will add to the current namespace in three (3) areas:
• Competition – As technology advances, so too do customer expectations of companies online. They expect that companies will utilize the latest and greatest technology and online practices to improve the user experience, protect their information and deliver quality service. Applicant anticipates that the proposed (.pwc) gTLD will enable it to communicate, interact and protect data in ways and under conditions not possible under the existing namespace, thus enabling Applicant and its affiliated entities to meet future customer expectations and competitive market demands.
• Differentiation – While today companies, like Applicant’s company, can register brand strings at the second-level (e.g., pwc.com), the proliferation of cybersquatting and typo squatting has placed a great burden on consumers to carefully tread online because there is no guarantee on the face of the domain name string that what looks like a branded website is indeed an authorized website of the brand owner. The proposed (. pwc ) gTLD will enable employees, customers, suppliers, other business partners and Internet users to distinguish, on the face of the domain name alone, whether the site is an authorized company site because the gTLD will be a restricted, exclusively- controlled online environment where only authorized company web properties and e-mail will exist and operate online.
Innovation - The proposed (.pwc) gTLD as a restricted, exclusively-controlled TLD will provide Applicant’s company with a new platform on which to build future innovation of its online brand presence and products.
Innovation - The proposed (.pwc) gTLD as a restricted, exclusively-controlled TLD will provide Applicant’s company with a new platform on which to build future innovation of its online brand presence and products.

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

• The Internet has been plagued by cybersquatting, typo squatting, phishing, pharming and identity theft scams. This malicious online conduct has shaken the trust and confidence of consumers to share information and transact business online. Thus, the proposed (.pwc) gTLD has the following user experience goals:

o Simplify purchase and unify the full breadth of products and services offered by Applicant and its affiliated entities;
o Improve and streamline manner in which employees, customers, suppliers and other business partners can interact with Applicant and its affiliated entities in the online digital space;
o Foster trust and confidence in online interactions by customers and other business partners with Applicant and its affiliated entities;
o Reduce the risk of Internet users being misled, believing and⁄or acting on erroneous, information about Applicant and its affiliated entities, its business partners and⁄or its products and services presented online by unauthorized 3rd parties; and
o Simplify online navigation to Applicant and affiliated entity products, services and information.

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

The proposed gTLD will be a restricted, exclusively-controlled gTLD where only Applicant, affiliated entities and authorized business partners will be permitted to register second-level domains for Applicant business purposes only for a term of one to ten years. Affiliated entities who are part of the same corporate organization as the Applicant who seek registrations for second-level names under the TLD will be required to present evidence in writing to accredited registrar(s) for the TLD demonstrating explicit authorization from an officer of the Applicant company to register second-level names within the TLD to protect against unauthorized registration within the TLD by unaffiliated third parties. Applicants and affiliated entities owned and⁄or controlled by the same corporate parent company will supply corporate contact and ownership information, not personal information, for each registration obtained under the TLD for display in the TLD WHOIS.

To the extent second-level domain names are ever registered to Applicant’s business partners and⁄or affiliates that are not owned by Applicant or its corporate parent company, registrants will be required to execute a registration agreement that incorporates all required ICANN consensus policies and other legal⁄policy requirements imposed on new gTLD applicants into the terms and conditions of the domain name registration agreement. Such registration may also be subject to additional terms and conditions under separate business partner and⁄or affiliate agreements with Applicant entity. Registrations by business partners or affiliates not owned by Applicant or its corporate parent company will require written, pre-approval by designated individual(s) at Applicant company, must provide corporate contact information, not personal information, for WHOIS purposes and must be made with Applicant’s registrar of choice. Registrants must not use the domain name in any way that may damage or diminish Applicants brand reputation, business relationships or other business interests. Failure to do any of the above will result in the immediate suspension of registrant’s registration agreement and⁄or all deletion of all domain names currently registered in the TLD.

vi. 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.

• The proposed (.pwc) gTLD will be a restricted, exclusively-controlled gTLD where only Applicant will authorize⁄issue registrations within the TLD to itself and affiliated entities for business purposes. Corporate contact information will be clearly listed in the WHOIS record for each registration within the TLD. Thus, there are no measures that need to be proposed to protect the privacy or confidential registration information of registrants of the TLD. However, Applicant is investing in the proposed (.pwc) gTLD to further demonstrate its commitment to data privacy (as evidenced by its current data privacy statement , http:⁄⁄www.pwc.com⁄id⁄en⁄about-us⁄pwc-privacy-policy.jhtml), as Applicant believes the utilization of the proposed new gTLD could position its company to more fully meet new online challenges related to online privacy in the future.


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

Prior to using the proposed (.pwc) gTLD for product and service marketing⁄advertising, marketing campaign activation, interaction and communication with individuals and entities with whom Applicant has a business relationship, and⁄or implementing new online navigation strategies, Applicant’s company anticipates conducting a multi-faceted outreach and communications campaign that will likely involve all communication channels, including but not limited to TV, radio, mobile, print, social media, direct mail, online advertising and marketing via our active, customer and affiliate-facing websites and other public relations activities to:
• Further communicate Applicant company’s commitment to online consumer safety and data privacy;
• Inform the market of Applicant’s ownership and planned use of the proposed (.pwc) gTLD;
• Clearly define the expected benefits to employees, customers, suppliers, other business partners and Internet users at large.

gTLDFull Legal NameE-mail suffixDetail
.liveCharleston Road Registry Inc.google.comView
18.b. Benefits to Registrants, Internet Users, and Others

18.b.i.1 Specialty

The goal of the proposed gTLD is to create a new Internet environment that provides registrants, Internet users, and the public with the opportunity to associate with a meaningful term. Specialization will arise from this environment through market dynamics as entities align their offerings with the term.

The specialization goal of the proposed gTLD is to create a new Internet environment that provides registrants with the opportunity to associate with the term ʺliveʺ and to provide content or offerings related to live events or programs within that dedicated domain space. This specialization introduces a new gTLD environment with the express purpose of acting as a hub for live content and⁄or the promotion of live events.

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.

Google is known for its high level of quality and speed, and Charleston Road Registry’s service level goal for the proposed gTLD is to extend that high level of quality, speed, and service to registrars. 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 that “fast is better than slow.”

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

Charleston Road Registry will provide both Engineering and Customer Service support to registrars. All registrars will also have the same level of access to Charleston Road Registry resources to resolve disputes and technical and⁄or administrative customer service issues.

Charleston Road Registry will provide all registrars with 24-hours-a-day, 7-days-a-week Customer Support in the form of telephone, email, and⁄or web chat for technical and non-technical issues relating to the operation of the gTLD system. Charleston Road Registry will provide all registrars with the same level of access to customer support via telephone, email, and Charleston Road Registryʹs website; email and web-based interactions will be the primary method of provisioning customer service support to registrars.

Additionally, Charleston Road Registry will implement strict policies and procedures to minimize abusive domain name registrations and uses and other activities that have a negative impact on Internet users. It will dedicate ample resources for the purpose of responding promptly to abuse complaints from government, judicial and⁄or law enforcement.

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 registrants assess opportunities in the marketplace to obtain a name, they will have confidence in Charleston Road Registry’s ability to meet ongoing needs as the registry operator for the proposed gTLD. 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 Charleston Road Registry allows registrars to register and oversee second-level domain names in the proposed gTLD; that registrars develop and deploy a reasonable process for ensuring that those domain names are used for gTLD-relevant purposes as specified in the registry-registrar agreement; and per Specification 4 that the WHOIS is thick and reliable; and that the registry is responsive to legal rights owners (if applicable) who may have complaints about potentially abusive registrations.

In addition, Charleston Road Registry’s operation of the new gTLD will provide the opportunity for registrars and registrants to build and⁄or bolster their unique brands and brand reputation in association with the proposed gTLD.

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 and increase productivity in enterprises, and spur innovation in the gTLD space.

The proposed gTLD, .live, will provide a new online structure for the aggregation of offerings related to live events or programs. As an alternative to existing second-level domains, Charleston Road Registry anticipates that the .live gTLD will increase competition among registrars by increasing consumer choice and creating new opportunities for registrar pricing differentiation. Charleston Road Registry also anticipates the .live gTLD will help grow the volume of entities offering content related to live events or programs online, thereby increasing competition among such entities to provide new, unique, and more relevant content and offerings. Charleston Road Registry further anticipates the .live gTLD may contribute to an increase in online advertising given the specific nature of the domain. Entities will compete to advertise their goods and services that are specific to any particular .live second-level domain.

Managing this Internet space will allow Charleston Road Registry to provide to registrars and registrants the high level of technical operations quality and service for which Google is known, which in turn will incent other existing and new gTLDs to improve the quality of their offerings.

Charleston Road Registry will facilitate a fair and equitable registrar process, providing open access to any registrar who meets ICANN accreditation guidelines by fully complying with the Registry Operator Code of Conduct. Charleston Road Registry is committed to treating all registrars equitably and will not offer preferential treatment to Google in its capacity as registrar.

18.b.ii.2 Differentiation

Charleston Road Registry believes in the commercial viability of alternatives to existing gTLDs such as .com and .net. The proposed gTLD will provide the marketplace with opportunities for differentiation not currently available in the gTLD space.

The .live gTLD will provide a new mechanism whereby businesses and individuals can differentiate their content by signifying that their offerings are related to the term ʺlive.ʺ This signification is not currently available in the gTLD space.

Given its association with Google, Charleston Road Registry offers a unique value proposition to registrars resulting from the strength of Google’s trusted brand, technical leadership, and support for free speech on the Internet. Registrars will have the opportunity to leverage this brand in devising their own market positions.

18.b.ii.3 Innovation

The proposed gTLD will foster innovation by creating a new space for the categorization and classification of online content. It will therein provide a mechanism by which registrars and registrants can better brand and manage their online presence by associating it with the .live namespace. This namespace delivers value to the public through the provision of new and differentiated content, goods, and services to Internet users.

The proposed gTLD, .live, will promote innovation among registrars by providing for the sale of a second-level domain in a gTLD that will attract a specific segment of registrants. This provides registrars with the opportunity to create and offer tailored new products and services that benefit registrants and⁄or improve user experience in association with the registration of a second-level domain in the .live gTLD. The proposed gTLD aspires to become an authoritative online resource for live content. The concentration of registrants in the .live gTLD will likely invite user comparison among second-level domain sites, encouraging second-level domain registrants to innovate and improve upon their content and⁄or offerings as a point of differentiation.

In addition, the proposed gTLD will promote innovation in the marketplace by providing additional second-level domain options for the public’s use. This will invite new entrants to establish a domain name presence, facilitating innovation in their offerings, and their interactions with Internet users.

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 constituents this same level of continuous development in advancing its management and operation of the gTLD, engendering benefits to registrars, registrants, and end users.

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 registrants in the proposed gTLD. Charleston Road Registry is uniquely positioned to provide this level of experience given its relationship with Google; Google invested over $3 billion in its IT infrastructure in 2011 and maintains a record of excellence in infrastructure operations.

The proposed gTLD will provide registrants with the opportunity to differentiate their dedicated domain space such that the end users are able to discern the type of content intended to be found within the proposed gTLD. This will enable increased user visibility of registrants’ offerings, as well as provide registrants with the opportunity to enhance their respective content offerings and innovate in new ways.

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

The proposed gTLD, furthermore, facilitates an improved online user experience through greater structure and categorization on the Internet.

18.b.iv Registration Policies

Charleston Road Registry believes that given its wide variety of uses, the .live gTLD will best add value to the gTLD space by remaining totally open and unencumbered by registrant restrictions. There will, therefore, be no restrictions on second-level domain name registrations in the proposed gTLD, .live.

Charleston Road Registry will make access to Registry Services, including the shared registration system, available to all ICANN-accredited registrars. Domain names within the proposed gTLD will be available to the general public for registration and use.

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. Charleston Road Registry and its provider of registry services, Google, have imposed measures to achieve this protection; additional specifics regarding the practices for the registry include but are not limited to the following:

- All data transmitted from registrars to the registry will be encrypted using transport layer security (TLS) or other similar data protection schemes to ensure that third parties cannot access personally identifying information or other sensitive data as it crosses the Internet.

- 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 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.

- Google data backups stored offsite are encrypted with passwords that are securely managed on Google’s internal systems. Google can effectively remove the ability to access this data by destroying the relevant encryption password.

- Supplying Google account information will be optional for registrants unless the domain registration is directly associated with another Google product offering. Google will not disclose Google account information except for any contact information provided by the user that is required by ICANN (per Specification 4) to be displayed in response to a WHOIS query.

- 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 payment card industry (PCI)-compliant billing system similar to that used by Google Ads.

- Data will not be shared with third parties without the permission of registrants, except as required for registry operations or as required under the law, such as in response to a subpoena, other such court order, or demonstrated official need by law enforcement.

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 Charleston Road Registry begins developing public-facing resources in its gTLD, it intends to inform the public about the gTLD and the opportunity to obtain domain space there through investments in marketing and public relations.

Charleston Road Registry intends to promote gTLDs in its portfolio, 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 believes 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 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, Charleston Road Registry will use local marketing and communications platforms as needed.