18(b) How do you expect that your proposed gTLD will benefit registrants, Internet users, and others?

Prototypical answer:

Aquarelle intends to organize the registry operation for the .AQUARELLE gTLD in such a manner that it will minimize the likelihood of having multiple applications or registration requests for a particular domain name.
According to Aquarelle, this can be achieved in any of the following ways, which likely needs to be further refined following ICANN’s award and delegation of the .AQUARELLE gTLD to Aquarelle:

i. AQUARELLE is the distinctive element out of Applicant’s highly recognized brand, having a global exposure, and a truly international clientele;

ii. From the Applicant’s perspective, .AQUARELLE may bring a high degree of recognition and specialization to the currently existing name space. Where in most cases the specific connotation that has been initially given to the gTLDs (or even ccTLDs) has disappeared, the .AQUARELLE top-level domain is currently intended to be unambiguous as regards:

a. the identity of the Aquarelle as the Registry Operator;
b. the source of the content and services offered under the .AQUARELLE; and
c. the affiliation between the Registry Operator and the TLD; and
d. in term, and at the discretion of the affiliation of Aquarelle, the affiliation between the Registry Operator and any third party that is authorized by the Aquarelle to register and⁄or use one or more domain name registrations in the .AQUARELLE TLD.

iii. As mentioned in the vision and mission statement above, the key reasons why Applicant is applying for .AQUARELLE include but are not limited to:

a. Take the opportunity presented by ICANN’s New gTLD Program in order to operate Aquarelle’s highly recognizable AQUARELLE brand at the top-level of the DNS’ hierarchy, which has the potential to present significant marketing and branding advantages for the Applicant, as well as an innovative platform for supporting the various stakeholders that are involved in the Applicant’s current day-to-day activities;

b. Provide for an unambiguous, safe and secure Internet environment, under the direct control of the Applicant; and

c. Implement measures – in the near or distant future and when more adequate tools and techniques become available – to mitigate and even avoid abuse, phishing, and even counterfeiting and piracy.

iv. The Applicant intends to implement the following policies and procedures with respect to the registration of domain names in the .AQUARELLE top-level domain:

(a) reservation and registration of domain names in the name of Aquarelle and its Affiliates. It is likely that this will be the scenario that Aquarelle will put in place during the first months or even years of operation of the .AQUARELLE gTLD. These names may include, but are not limited to:
i. descriptive names, referring to the actual day-to-day business activities of the Applicant or its Affiliates;
ii. descriptive names, referring to the internal departments of the Applicant;
iii. descriptive names, referring to the subsidiaries, affiliates and⁄or joint ventures of the Applicant;
iv. potentially also names relating to other stakeholders of Aquarelle, to be determined by Aquarelle following ICANN’s award and delegation of the .AQUARELLE gTLD to Aquarelle;
v. etc.

(b) launch of the TLD: if and when implemented by the Registry Operator, this is likely going to be a gradual process, whereby selected third parties that meet certain criteria, which Aquarelle will be entitled to set at its own discretion, may register domain names in the .AQUARELLE gTLD. These processes may include the following:

i. Sunrise: allow physical persons, organizations and entities that meet the eligibility requirements determined by Aquarelle at that point in time to choose and, where allowed by Aquarelle, to register the domain names that are identical to their trademarks, business identifiers and company names. By way of example: eligible parties could include business partners of the Affiliates of the Aquarelle Group, and their corresponding .AQUARELLE domain names would then include their product or service brands;

ii. Land rush and general availability: other available domain names may be registered by physical persons, organizations and entities that meet the eligibility requirements in force at that point in time to choose the domain names in accordance with the applicable terms and conditions, determined at the sole discretion of Aquarelle.
Depending on the terms and conditions in force at the time of launch of the TLD, these domain names may or may not be registered in the name of the applicant for the domain name or in the name of the Registry Operator of the TLD (i.e., Aquarelle). In any case, Aquarelle reserves the right to impose additional and other restrictions from time to time at its sole discretion.

v. Given the fact that the Applicant is a company that is established in France, it is subject to both national and European privacy and data protection rules and practices. In particular, given the fact that the French data protection authorities have issued strict guidelines, Aquarelle will at all times be obliged to implement these policies, and this prior to and during the operation of the .AQUARELLE gTLD.

vi. The Applicant is a corporation that has been established in and has been trading under the AQUARELLE brand since the 1980’s. Since, it has developed a strong position and recognition in the field of sales of flowers, both in an online and off line environment, and one of Europe’s e-commerce pioneers.

Although a number of first use cases for a .AQUARELLE gTLD have been developed, Aquarelle has not developed detailed plans on when and how it will develop the new .AQUARELLE channel and what will be the role of and services that will be provided to and by Aquarelle and its Affiliates over such platform. However, the Applicant has different ways in order to make existing and future customers, visitors and stakeholders aware of the (gradual) development of a new online environment under the .AQUARELLE TLD, including but not limited to:

a. Direct and indirect marketing and branding initiatives;
b. By way of brochures, posters and advertisements in newspapers, magazines, specialized press, etc.;
c. Internet advertising campaigns, including paid search, pay-per-click advertising, etc.;
d. Having Internet traffic to the Aquarelle.com or other domain names resolving into certain web-related services and content provided by the Aquarelle Group, hereby actively promiting this new space, provide relevant content with respect to the activities, products and services of the Aquarelle Group, which all builds awareness with Internet users that the .AQUARELLE gTLD exists;
e. Email marketing campaigns;
f. Facebook campaigns
g. etc.

Similar gTLD applications: (4)