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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
.MERCKMSDMSD Registry Holdings, Inc.fairwindspartners.comView
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.
gTLDFull Legal NameE-mail suffixDetail
.PROTECTIONSymantec Corporationfairwindspartners.comView
18.2 How do you expect that your proposed gTLD will benefit registrants, Internet users, and others?

Symantec believes that a proposed .PROTECTION gTLD has the potential to offer the following benefits to Internet users and consumers:

Establish a trusted source of information and an online marketplace for the millions of consumers who purchase goods and services through Symantec’s online stores, for investors and third parties seeking information, and for the general Internet user population;

Provide Symantec and its qualified subsidiaries and affiliates with short and memorable Internet addresses; provide increased navigation to products, services, advertising campaigns, public interest content, public awareness initiatives, etc.;

Minimize the cost and need for defensive registrations because domain names within the .PROTECTION gTLD will only be allocated internally to Symantec and its qualified subsidiaries and affiliates, at least for the first three years of operation; and

Develop a potential platform for the secure access to, purchase of, and distribution of Symantec products and information to consumers, 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 .PROTECTION gTLD is to provide a trusted, hierarchical, secure, and intuitive online marketplace to deliver Symantec content, services, and information about our business and focus, as well as other goods and services. As Symantec continues to expand, it is the company’s desire to pursue and develop opportunities to market and distribute its online content and products to consumers in the U.S. and internationally on various platforms, including the Internet and mobile devices, among others.

Businesses are increasingly adopting cloud, virtualization, and mobile technologies to reduce the cost of their IT infrastructures and enhance access to their information. By providing products and solutions that support the adoption of these key technology trends, Symantec seeks to maintain a position of leadership in helping businesses protect, secure, and manage their information and identities. Given the increasing demand to access Symantec and its products through a variety of channels, which include domain names, Symantec believes that a .PROTECTION gTLD has the potential to provide an innovative, virtual avenue to Symantec goods and services that will deepen and broaden its relationship with consumers.

Most importantly, Symantec will be able to provide access to its products and online content in a namespace devoid of piracy, cybersquatting, and other malicious activities. Providing consumers with a trusted experience is paramount to Symantec, and a .PROTECTION gTLD will be used to further that goal.

While security companies such as Symantec fight a never-ending battle to protect information, consumers, businesses, and governments from piracy on the Internet, a .PROTECTION gTLD potentially offers consumers a safe and intuitive means of accessing authorized content from Symantec and its qualified subsidiaries and affiliates.

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

The primary driving factors of the .PROTECTION gTLD are differentiation and innovation. The number of domain names registered will not measure the success of the gTLD, but rather success will be judged by the level of consumer recognition and trust that is placed in the .PROTECTION gTLD. Using this benchmark, Symantec strives to build consumer recognition and trust through the usage of the .PROTECTION gTLD that rises to the level of that found in the .EDU and .GOV gTLDs.

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

Symantec believes that the .PROTECTION gTLD will provide a trusted ecosystem experience for the millions of consumers worldwide who purchase the company’s products, as well as those who seek information that Symantec provides, such as investors and members of the press. In addition to providing consumers with short, memorable, and intuitive domain names, the .PROTECTION gTLD will indicate to consumers that all domains and content therein are owned and controlled by Symantec, thus protecting users from potential infringing, pirated, or harmful content.

The initial use of the .PROTECTION gTLD will involve Symantec registering a limited number of second-level domain names. This initial use will provide Symantec’s IT and security personnel the ability to run a number of tests to ensure seamless and secure access to the Symantec websites, and interoperability with various software and Web-⁄mobile-based applications. Once appropriate security and stability issues have been satisfactorily addressed, Symantec will likely begin allocating domain names for internal corporate use and may redirect new .PROTECTION domain names to preexisting 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.

During this same period of time, Symantec will evaluate potential strategies to use the .PROTECTION gTLD in other ways that will advance Symantec’s corporate mission and goals.

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

Symantec currently intends for the .PROTECTION gTLD to be exclusively used by Symantec and its qualified subsidiaries and affiliates, at least for the first three years of operation. Because of this condition, Symantec intends to address registration and use requirements in its qualified subsidiary and affiliate agreements, rather than in a domain name registration agreement.

Notwithstanding this, Symantec 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 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.

As a global information and security company, Symantec recognizes that this is an evolving area of law in which there is no international standard. However, due to the fact that every domain name will be registered to Symantec and its qualified subsidiaries and affiliates, at least for the first three years of operation, Symantec has a vested interest in making sure that accurate and current domain name information is readily available in connection with each .PROTECTION domain name. For the .PROTECTION gTLD, all private and confidential information will be protected.

Symantec will ensure that the operation of the .PROTECTION gTLD will be consistent with its Statement of Privacy Principles, available on its website, see http:⁄⁄www.symantec.com⁄about⁄profile⁄policies⁄privacy.jsp.

In addition, Symantec 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 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.”

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

Symantec sees the potential for this gTLD to play a large role in Symantec’s future online strategic initiative. However, there are a number of unanswered questions concerning consumer recognition, the adoption of new gTLDs, and the response from search engines in the marketplace that will influence the usage of the gTLD and communication about that usage.

Notwithstanding this, Symantec plans to start using .PROTECTION domains initially as redirects to existing .COM domains. Symantec also plans to carefully review the release of new gTLDs by others, the response from search engines to gTLDs, and the perception of consumers. As the marketplace evolves, Symantec will invest in outreach and communication as needed to ensure that its consumers, partners, and affiliates continue to interact with Symantec content in a simplified and efficient manner.