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

18.3.1 What operating rules will you adopt to eliminate or minimize social costs (e.g., time or financial resource costs, as well as various types of consumer vulnerabilities)?

MRH has proposed operating rules to limit registration to MRH and potentially qualified subsidiaries and affiliates and will provide a trusted online environment for end-users.

Therefore, one way in which social costs will be eliminated is that there will be no defensive need for other trademark and brand owners to register second-level domains in the .MERCK gTLD. In addition, the .MERCK gTLD will provide end-users with a trusted source for MRH information, goods, and services.

18.3.2 What other steps will you take to minimize negative consequences⁄costs imposed upon consumers?

MRH believes that the proposed operation of the .MERCK gTLD as set forth in this application has no known negative consequences or cost implications to end users. On the contrary, the proposed operation of this registry will likely lead to direct and quantifiable benefits to end users.

18.3.3 How will multiple applications for a particular domain name be resolved, for example, by auction or on a first-come⁄first-serve basis?

MRH does not envision multiple applicants for the same domain name, as domain names will only be allocated to its parent company, MSD, and potentially MSD’s qualified subsidiaries and affiliates.

18.3.4 Explain any cost benefits for registrants you intend to implement (e.g., advantageous pricing, introductory discounts, bulk registration discounts).

MRH does not envision any advantageous pricing, introductory discounts, or bulk registration discounts at this time because these marketing⁄commercial initiatives are inconsistent with the mission and purpose of the .MERCK gTLD as a trusted online source identifier for MSD, and potentially its qualified subsidiaries and affiliates.

Moreover, it is the current intention of MSD to have MRH provide domain name registrations initially at no cost, at least for the first five years of operation.

However, the company reserves the right to reevaluate this decision and may choose to impose a fee in the future. Any potential registrant fees imposed upon licensees or strategic parties will be commensurate with commercial agreements and made if this class of registrants is permitted to register domain names in the .MERCK gTLD.

18.3.5 Note that the Registry Agreement requires that registrars be offered the option to obtain initial domain name registrations for periods of one to ten years at the discretion of the registrar, but no greater than ten years. Additionally, the Registry Agreement requires advance written notice of price increases. Do you intend to make contractual commitments to registrants regarding the magnitude of price escalation? If so, please describe your plans.

MRH is committed to providing the domain name registration periods set forth in the Registry Agreement. Moreover, it is the current intention of MSD to have MRH provide domain name registrations initially at no cost, at least for the first five years of operation. Therefore, providing contractual commitments in a domain name Registrant Agreement regarding the magnitude of price escalations does not seem relevant or appropriate. MRH acknowledges that the current template Registry Agreement requires that the Registry Operator “shall offer registrars the option to obtain registration periods for one to ten years at the discretion of the registrar.”

MRH acknowledges that the current template Registry Agreement requires that the Registry Operator “shall offer registrars the option to obtain registration periods for one to ten years at the discretion of the registrar.” However, MSD, as the sole registrant within the .MERCK gTLD, intends to only register domain names on an annual basis through a single registrar.

This is done to better account for costs on an annual basis as well as to provide for more concise financial statements in Question 46, (e.g., no multi-year registration or deferred revenue).

gTLD	Full Legal Name	E-mail suffix	Detail
.RENT	DERRent, LLC	dominionenterprises.com	View

18.3.1 What operating rules will you adopt to eliminate or minimize social costs (e.g., time or financial resource costs, as well as various types of consumer vulnerabilities)?

Over the past decade, ICANN has approved fifteen new gTLDs which have historically been classified as either generic (.INFO, .BIZ, .NAME) or sponsored (.ASIA, COOP, .TRAVEL, .JOBS, etc.) gTLDs. It is anticipated that in this current new gTLD application round, many large international corporations will take the opportunity to register generic strings as top-level domains. This is a new approach to the operation of a gTLD in which the business plan relies on three important distinctions between it and the gTLDs that were approved in the 2001 and 2004 rounds of expansion.

First, there are now approximately ten small gTLDs that have fewer than 300,000 registrations and that offer clear models of successful operation; second, at least three experienced technical backend suppliers (i.e., SRS⁄DNS services) are in place; and third, with many new .GENERIC gTLDs, well-understood registry operations will be fully supported by an established and financially sound business operating a .GENERIC gTLD in addition to and in conjunction with its primary business.

The .RENT gTLD presented here minimizes the risk and uncertainty of prior gTLDs by drawing upon more than a decade of gTLD industry development and by relying upon the established online track record of Dominion.

DERRent believes that the safeguards set forth in the Applicant Guidebook and additional RPMs identified in Section 18.2.4 are primary drivers to minimize potential negative social costs. DERRent also believes that the initial launch of the .RENT gTLD through known business entities with existing contractual relationships with Dominion will also be an important impediment to any potential negative social costs.

18.3.2 What other steps will you take to minimize negative consequences⁄costs imposed upon consumers?

DERRent believes that the proposed operation of the .RENT gTLD as set forth in this application has minimal known negative consequences or cost implications to consumers. To the contrary, the proposed operation of this registry will likely lead to direct and quantifiable benefits to consumers. DERRent believes that by following the core business values as established by its parent company, Dominion (see Section 18.2.1), it will be able to provide real value to consumers, and minimize any potential negative consequences⁄costs.

18.3.3 How will multiple applications for a particular domain name be resolved, for example, by auction or on a first-come⁄first-serve basis?

DERRent does not envision multiple applicants for the same domain name, based upon the initial business model set forth in Section 18.1.2. However, if such an instance should arise, DERRent believes that a phased equitable allocation approach, modeled after the ones that ICANN has previously approved in connection with numerous ICANN Registry Service Evaluation Process (RSEP) requests, would be the most prudent path forward, e.g., RFP, auction, and then first-come-first-serve.

18.3.4 Explain any cost benefits for registrants you intend to implement (e.g., advantageous pricing, introductory discounts, bulk registration discounts).

Dominion currently offers its existing clients a suite of services that are often bundled together. During the initial rollout of the .RENT gTLD, it is very likely that these domain names will be bundled into Dominion’s existing product⁄service offerings as a value-added service. However, there will likely be no determination made regarding long-term domain name pricing⁄discount policies until such time that policies regarding expanded registration and use of domain names by non-Dominion clients are implemented.

18.3.5 Note that the Registry Agreement requires that registrars be offered the option to obtain initial domain name registrations for periods of one to ten years at the discretion of the registrar, but no greater than ten years. Additionally, the Registry Agreement requires advance written notice of price increases. Do you intend to make contractual commitments to registrants regarding the magnitude of price escalation? If so, please describe your plans.

DERRent is committed to providing domain name registration services in accordance with the periods set forth in the registry agreement and providing domain name registrants with pricing predictability. However, as noted in the proposed business model (18.1.2), DERRent currently envisions initially offering domain name registration services mainly to Dominion apartment-related businesses and their existing clients. In these cases, having an existing contractual relationship with Dominion would be a condition for the ability to register a .RENT domain name.

DERRent acknowledges that the current template Registry Agreement requires that the Registry Operator “shall offer registrars the option to obtain registration periods for one to ten years at the discretion of the registrar.” DERRent will initially offer one year domain name registrations with an option to renew annually.

When DERRent moves forward with a validation process whereby third parties with no existing relationship with Dominion are permitted to register and use .RENT domain names, DERRent is fully committed to offering these domain name registrants multi-year registrations that include pricing predictability and notice in connection with the terms of registration. Pricing for premium domain names will be determined before the domain names are offered for registration. In connection with potential premium generic or geographic domain names, there may be additional requirements that would legally bind these registrants in connection with the registration and use of these domain names. These terms will be known by this class of domain name registrants prior to the creation of any legal obligation between the parties.