gTLD	Full Legal Name	E-mail suffix	Detail
.MERCKMSD	MSD Registry Holdings, Inc.	fairwindspartners.com	View

18.2 How do you expect that your proposed gTLD will benefit registrants, Internet users, and others?

MSDRH believes that the proposed .MERCKMSD gTLD has the potential to offer a variety of benefits to Internet end users, such as establishing a trusted source of information and online marketplace for the millions of end-users searching for related information through MSD’s online resources.

In addition, MSDRH anticipates that .MERCKMSD can provide MSD and potentially its qualified subsidiaries and affiliates with short and memorable Internet addresses, as well as provide increased navigation to products, services, advertising campaigns, public interest content, and public awareness initiatives.

A .MERCKMSD gTLD can also minimize the cost and need for defensive registrations because domain names within the .MERCKMSD gTLD will initially only be allocated by MSDRH to MSDʹs internal departments and potentially to qualified subsidiaries and affiliates of MSD.

Also, end users may benefit from lower incidents of phishing and malware often associated with mistypes of domain names in the .COM space that are owned by cybersquatters since they will be navigating to domain names in the .MERCKMSD gTLD.

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

The primary mission and purpose of the .MERCKMSD gTLD is to provide a trusted, hierarchical, and intuitive online marketplace for MSD content and other products and services. Given that end-users are increasingly demanding access to MSD information through a variety of channels, which include domain names, MSDRH believes that the .MERCKMSD gTLD has the potential to provide an innovative, virtual avenue to content from MSD that will deepen and broaden its relationship with these end-users.

As MSDRH’s parent company, MSD, continues to expand its product offerings and research areas, the company has considered using .MERCKMSD to pursue and develop opportunities to market and distribute its online content and products to end users on various platforms, including the Internet and mobile devices, among others. Providing end-users with a trusted experience is paramount to MSDRH and its parent company, MSD, and the .MERCKMSD gTLD will be used to further that goal.

While healthcare companies, such as MSD, fight never-ending battles to protect their valuable intellectual property from fraud and piracy on the Internet, the .MERCKMSD gTLD would offer end-users a safe and intuitive means of accessing authorized content from MSD and potentially MSD’s qualified subsidiaries and affiliates and potential licensees and strategic parties.

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

As a .BRAND gTLD, the primary driving factors of the .MERCKMSD gTLD are differentiation and innovation. The success of the gTLD will not be measured by the number of domain names registered. Instead, it will be measured by the levels of consumer recognition and trust that are placed in the .MERCKMSD gTLD. Using this benchmark, MSDRH will strive to build consumer recognition and trust that rise to the levels of those found in the .EDU and .GOV gTLDs.


As noted above. MSDRH’s parent, MSD, is a leading healthcare company that leverages emerging technologies to deliver healthcare information, products, and services internationally.

The .MERCKMSD gTLD has the potential to aid this online strategy, if potential consumer benefits that ICANN experts have anticipated become a reality.

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

MSDRH believes that the .MERCKMSD gTLD will provide a single, trusted ecosystem experience for the millions of end-users seeking information about MSD and its products and services. In addition to providing end-users with short, memorable, and intuitive domain names, MSDRH will have best-in-class safeguards to minimize any potential infringing or pirated content within the .MERCKMSD gTLD.

MSD will continue to stay abreast of changes in the new gTLD space following commencement of operations and will adjust its strategy as needed to ensure it is providing the most valuable and relevant experience for end users.

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

The .MERCKMSD gTLD is currently intended to be exclusively used by MSD and potentially MSD’s qualified subsidiaries and affiliates.
Because of this condition precedent, any registration and use requirements are more appropriately vested in corporate⁄affiliate agreements and not in a domain name registration agreement. MSDRH reserves the right to consider allowing third party registrants outside of current affiliate or subsidiary relationships to own .MERCKMSD domains for a fee at a future date. This would only be determined following an extensive, internal evaluation of MSD’s on-going branding and online goals, and discussions with MSD’s registry services provider.

MSDRH will incorporate all required ICANN consensus policies and other legal⁄policy requirements imposed on new gTLD applicants into the appropriate agreements.

18.2.5 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.

MSD recognizes first hand that this is an evolving area of law in which there is no uniform international standard. As a global healthcare company, MSD respects the privacy of its end-users. The company employs a variety of physical, electronic, contractual, and managerial safeguards to protect personal and confidential information on its websites.

MSDRH will take similar precautions to protect registrant and user data associated with the .MERCKMSD gTLD.

Furthermore, given that every domain name will be registered to MSD or potentially a qualified subsidiary or affiliate and potentially licensees or strategic parties, MSDRH has a vested interest in ensuring that accurate and current registrant information is readily available in connection with each .MERCKMSD domain name.

MSD will ensure that the operation of the .MERCKMSD gTLD will be consistent with MSD’s Statement of Privacy Principles, available on its website at http:⁄⁄www.merck.com⁄privacy⁄.

In addition, MSDRH intends to incorporate contractual language in its Registry-Registrar Agreement (RRA) modeled after language that has been included in the template Registry Agreement and that has been successful utilized by existing ICANN gTLD Registry Operators. The template Registry Agreement states “Registry Operator shall (i) notify each ICANN-accredited registrar that is a party to the registry-registrar agreement for the TLD of the purposes for which data about any identified or identifiable natural person (“Personal Data”) submitted to Registry Operator by such registrar is collected and used under this Agreement or otherwise and the intended recipients (or categories of recipients) of such Personal Data, and (ii) require such registrar to obtain the consent of each registrant in the TLD for such collection and use of Personal Data. Registry Operator shall take reasonable steps to protect Personal Data collected from such registrar from loss, misuse, unauthorized disclosure, alteration or destruction. Registry Operator shall not use or authorize the use of Personal Data in a way that is incompatible with the notice provided to registrars.ʺ

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

MSDRH plans to start using .MERCKMSD domain names primarily as redirects to existing .COM and other domains that MSD and potentially, MSD’s qualified subsidiaries and affiliates, currently operate. MSDRH also plans to carefully review the response from search engines to .BRAND gTLDs, and the perception of end users. As the marketplace evolves, MSDRH will invest in outreach and communication as needed to ensure that its end-users continue to interact with MSDRH content, services, and products in a simplified, efficient, and productive manner.

gTLD	Full Legal Name	E-mail suffix	Detail
.一号店	Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.	fairwindspartners.com	View

18.2 How do you expect that your proposed gTLD will benefit registrants, Internet users, and others?

Walmart believes that the proposed .一号店 gTLD has the potential to offer the following benefits to Internet users:

1) Establish a trusted source of information about Yihaodian for the millions of consumers who purchase goods in its stores and online, for investors seeking information, and for the general Internet user population as a whole;

2) Provide Walmart, Yihaodian and Walmart’s qualified subsidiaries and affiliates with short and memorable Internet addresses;

3) Improve navigation to Yihaodian products, services, advertising campaigns, public interest content, public awareness initiatives, etc.;

4) Through the adoption of new gTLDs by the wider Internet community, benefit users from a lower incidence of phishing and malware, which are often associated with typos of domain names in the .COM space and owned by cybersquatters, since they will be navigating to domain names in gTLDs like .一号店 instead;

5) Minimize the cost and need for defensive registrations because domain names within the .一号店 gTLD will be allocated by to Walmart, Yihaodian, and Walmart’s qualified subsidiaries and affiliates only; and

6) Develop a potential platform for the secure access to, and purchase of, Yihaodian products and information, in order to minimize the potential for counterfeit or infringing goods and services.

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

The primary mission and purpose of the .一号店 gTLD is to provide a trusted, hierarchical, and intuitive online vehicle to deliver Yihaodian content and products, as well as information about the companyʹs brands, business, and focus. As Yihaodian continues to expand, it is the companyʹs desire to continue to pursue and develop opportunities to market and distribute its products and brands through a variety of platforms, including the Internet. Given that consumers are increasingly demanding access to companies and brands via a number of online channels, including domain names, Walmart believes that the .一号店 gTLD has the potential to provide an innovative, virtual avenue to Yihaodian products and information that will deepen and broaden the companyʹs relationship with consumers.

Through use of the .一号店 gTLD, Yihaodian will also be able to provide access to its content, brands, and products in a namespace devoid of piracy, cybersquatting, and other malicious cybercriminal activities. Providing consumers with a safe experience is paramount to Walmart, and the .一号店 gTLD will be used to further that goal.

While Fortune 500 companies such as Walmart must fight a never-ending battle to protect their intellectual property from piracy on the Internet, the .一号店 gTLD has the potential to offer consumers a safe and intuitive means of accessing authorized Yihaodian content and products.

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

As a .BRAND gTLD, the primary driving factors behind .一号店 are differentiation and innovation. The success of the gTLD will not be measured by the number of domain names registered, but by the levels of consumer recognition and trust that are placed in .一号店. Using this as a benchmark, Walmart will strive to build consumer recognition and trust, through the usage of .一号店, that rise to the levels of those found in the .EDU and .GOV gTLDs.

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

Walmart believes that the .一号店 gTLD will provide a single, trusted, ecosystem experience for Internet users worldwide, particularly consumers seeking Yihaodian products or information online. In addition to providing Yihaodian with short, memorable, and intuitive domain names, the .一号店 gTLD will also indicate to users that they are navigating in a secure space where all domain names and content are owned and controlled by Walmart and Yihaodian, thereby assuring them that they are protected from potential unauthorized, infringing, pirated, or malicious content.

The initial use of the .一号店 gTLD will involve the registration of only a limited number of second-level domain names. This initial use will provide Walmartʹs IT and security personnel with the ability to run a number of tests to ensure seamless and secure access to Yihaodian websites, and interoperability with various software and Web⁄mobile-based applications. Once the appropriate security and stability issues have been satisfactorily addressed, Walmart will likely begin allocating domain names for internal use and may redirect new .一号店 domain names to pre-existing content. This phased rollout will likely take place over a multi-year period, but is subject to change depending upon a range of external factors.

At the same time, Walmart will evaluate potential strategies to migrate traffic away from its current network of second-level domain names registered in various gTLDs, to the Walmart family of gTLDs, which offers the potential to provide customers with a single, trusted online source for Yihaodian products and services.

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

Walmart currently intends for the .一号店 gTLD to be initially used exclusively by Walmart, Yihaodian and Walmart’s qualified subsidiaries and affiliates. Because of this condition, any registration and use requirements are more appropriately vested in these corporate⁄affiliate agreements and not in a domain name registration agreement.

Notwithstanding this, Walmart will incorporate 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 that each qualified subsidiary or affiliate of Yihaodian would execute.

18.2.5 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 global retail company, Walmart respects the privacy of its customers and other consumers. The company employs a variety of physical, electronic, contractual, and managerial safeguards to protect personal and confidential information in its stores and on its websites. Walmart will take similar precautions to protect registrant and user data associated with the .一号店 gTLD. Furthermore, given that every domain name will be registered to Walmart, Yihaodian or Walmart’s qualified subsidiaries or affiliates, Walmart has a vested interest in ensuring that accurate and current registrant information is readily available in connection with each .一号店 domain name.

Walmart will ensure that the operation of the .一号店 gTLD will be consistent with its Privacy Policy, see http:⁄⁄walmartstores.com⁄PrivacySecurity⁄9243.aspx.

In addition, Walmart intends to incorporate contractual language in its Registry-Registrar Agreement (RRA) modeled after language that has been included in the template Registry Agreement that has been successfully utilized by existing ICANN gTLD Registry Operators. The template Registry Agreement states, “Registry Operator shall (i) notify each ICANN-accredited registrar that is a party to the registry-registrar agreement for the TLD of the purposes for which data about any identified or identifiable natural person (“Personal Data”) submitted to Registry Operator by such registrar is collected and used under this Agreement or otherwise and the intended recipients (or categories of recipients) of such Personal Data, and (ii) require such registrar to obtain the consent of each registrant in the TLD for such collection and use of Personal Data. Registry Operator shall take reasonable steps to protect Personal Data collected from such registrar from loss, misuse, unauthorized disclosure, alteration or destruction. Registry Operator shall not use or authorize the use of Personal Data in a way that is incompatible with the notice provided to registrars.ʺ

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

Although Walmart sees the potential for this gTLD to play a role in Yihaodianʹs future online strategic initiatives, the extent to which this gTLD will benefit Yihaodianʹs digital strategy will likely depend upon consumer recognition and the rate of adoption of new gTLDs, as well as the response from search engines in the marketplace. These factors will also likely influence communication and use case strategies for the gTLD.

Notwithstanding this, Walmart anticipates a phased-in approach to using and promoting the gTLD, in which Walmart will initially redirect .一号店 domain names to existing Yihaodian .COM content. Walmart also plans to carefully review the release of new gTLDs by others, the response from search engines to brand gTLDs, and consumer perception. After this analysis, Walmart may act upon a broader initiative, should the results of this evaluation be satisfactory. As Walmart’s digital strategy and the gTLD marketplace evolve, Walmart will invest in the appropriate outreach and communication to ensure that consumers, as well as Internet users as a whole, continue to interact online with Yihaodian in a simplified and efficient manner.