gTLD	Full Legal Name	E-mail suffix	Detail
.study	OPEN UNIVERSITIES AUSTRALIA PTY LTD	ngtld.webcentral.com.au	View

18(B)I. WHAT IS THE GOAL OF YOUR PROPOSED gTLD IN TERMS OF AREAS OF SPECIALTY, SERVICE LEVELS OR REPUTATION?

The key goals of the proposed new .study gTLD are in line with ICANN’s Affirmation of Commitments: to promote consumer trust, competition and consumer choice. OUA also seeks to foster its reputation as the leading provider of its online learning services and provide an authoritative internet space through which OUA and its affiliates are able to communicate with its users directly and effectively. Acknowledged within the Australian market for its online innovation, OUA aims to use the proposed .study gTLD to leverage its market leadership position as an online learning space and drive traffic and business growth for OUA by using .study as a trusted centre of targeted content and information about study options for its prospective students. The .study gTLD will allow its users to identify study topics more quickly and easily by matching their learning interest, career aspirations and lifestyles. OUA also plans to provide second level domain names such as open.study and university.study to assist in generating search-derived traffic for itself and its partner universities. Further, the ability to create personalised domain names on demand and domain names related to the individual study topics OUA provides will support these goals. Strengthened security measures, service levels and more effective functionality will provide a trusted and positive user experience.


18(B)II. WHAT DO YOU ANTICIPATE YOUR PROPOSED gTLD WILL ADD TO THE CURRENT SPACE, IN TERMS OF COMPETITION, DIFFERENTIATION, OR INNOVATION?

It is anticipated that the proposed .study gTLD will make positive contributions to the wider internet community, particularly in the online learning space, by providing:


DIFFERENTIATION (INCREASED TRUST):

The .study gTLD will simplify how internet users interact with OUA by providing a distinctive domain space specifically for open online learning. OUA anticipates that the .study gTLD will generate more search-derived traffic from users searching for study options. Such internet users will be able to directly navigate to the .study gTLD site to find the most relevant study option for their studies. By centralising accredited and certified study options, .study will facilitate its users’ decision-making process when investing in their education, saving them time and resources searching for the appropriate studying opportunity tailored to their needs. Further, OUA plans to increase its partnership with other educational institutions in Australia and overseas. The use of the .study gTLD may ultimately be adopted to regulate the education sector from a digital perspective. OUA seeks to establish a global standard in education by developing the .study gTLD to differentiate its offer in online learning among multiple providers. OUA already offers a unique model which enables students to study individual study topics and to commence study without the need for previous study, in most cases, via open entry. The current domain name system has shown that it is vulnerable to malicious abuses due to registration of domain names which seek to exploit consumer confusion. OUA can address some of these vulnerabilities by maintaining complete control over the domain names registered under the .study domain space. OUA intends to use .study to ensure that users are able to distinguish OUA’s selected network of education providers and the individual study topics they offer from counterfeiters. Together with consumer trust, internet users will be able to rely on the authoritativeness of the domain names under the .study domain space, which will differentiate interaction between internet users and OUA’s websites.


COMPETITION:

The differentiation of .study gTLD as a trusted online learning site for OUA will drive existing and new TLD registry operators and other education providers to make improvements in mechanisms to improve consumer trust of their TLDs. The ability to market OUA’s offer of individual study topics with the use of the .study gTLD will provide OUA a significant competitive edge as students wishing to find appropriate study options tailored to their needs will be encouraged to interact with domain names under the .study domain space. With a dedicated .study domain space, educational institutions and services providers in the education sector may have increased choices in the registration of domain names. As a result, .study will have a flow on effect to enable increased competition. Therefore, the benefits of the proposed .study gTLD will be distributed not only to its direct customers, but to the internet community at large forcing improved services in the market place.


INNOVATION:

With the expansion of the internet community to all corners of the world, the existing TLD structure presents limitations, not only in the availability of domain names for registrants, but also to businesses and organisations establishing a coherent global online brand presence to meet their evolving business needs. It is often difficult to register a domain name in existing domain space due to unavailability of the desired name. This problem is amplified for organisations such as OUA who work across many different jurisdictions and geographical markets. Even when the desired domain name is available, it may come with a high price tag associated with a purchase of such desired name from a third party or be ambiguous and fail to explain the nature of the organisation’s business. With .study, OUA has the ability to create second or third level domain names including the use of geographic names on demand which are relevant to its student base and the individual online study topics that OUA offers. By building its website and future websites with clear domain names such as openuniversities.study and country.study, OUA will be able to convey a clear message that it provides studying options from its partner universities and other accredited education providers. OUA will be able to combine its use of the domain space with innovative user focused marketing and services to address the currently unmet needs in the existing domain name system providing greater consumer choice.


18(B)III. WHAT GOALS DOES YOUR PROPOSED gTLD HAVE IN TERMS OF USER EXPERIENCE?

The proposed .study gTLD will provide a positive user experience, which meets the changing and growing needs of the global internet community. OUA will maintain control in the registration and use of domain names and will ensure that the new gTLD will only be used for purposes authorised by OUA. Therefore, the .study gTLD will:

- provide an easy and intuitive reference and access point for internet users searching for study options matching their learning interest or career aspirations;

- represent authenticity thus promoting user confidence;

- direct internet users to relevant information in a timely manner by creating domain names such as university.study on demand;

- allow the use of IDNs at a later stage to enable OUA’s current and prospective students to interact directly in their native language;

- use geographic names to localise OUA’s websites to connect with internet users in the relevant regions and to comply with local laws;

- enhance security and minimise security risks by implementing necessary technical and policy measures;

- strengthen brand reputation and user confidence by eliminating user confusion; and

- prevent potential abuses in the registration process reducing overall costs to businesses and users.


OUA intends to create relevant domain names for use including product, services or geographic names in the second or third level domain names. In accordance with the registration policy and the proposed measures for protection of geographic names as outlined in response to Question 22, OUA will use geographic names to localise its websites in the Australia and its main territories initially where OUA offers its online studies. OUA plans to expand the use of geographic names to other countries in the Asia Pacific and US regions at a later stage where OUA plans to expand its operations. The use of geographic names is intended to:

- connect internet users with relevant information as applicable to the territory; and

- comply with required rules and regulations in the relevant territory.


At this stage, OUA does not intend to utilise Internationalized Domain Names (IDNs) at the second level. However, as the use of the .study gTLD evolves, OUA may wish to utilise IDNs to allow internet users to engage with .study in their native language, creating a more positive user experience and encouraging diversity.

The .study gTLD should address the concerns that the current domain name system is open to potential malicious abuse and user confusion in the registration processes. Although the current system allows an eligible party to lodge a claim through existing Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP) or other dispute resolution processes, the .study gTLD will reduce potential abuses in the registration processes and overall costs to internet users. User confidence in the domain name system will be strengthened, which will ultimately contribute towards promoting ICANN’s core values in benefiting the public interest.


18(B)IV. PROVIDE A COMPLETE DESCRIPTION OF THE APPLICANTʹS INTENDED REGISTRATION POLICIES IN SUPPORT OF THE GOALS LISTED ABOVE.

The proposed registration policy is attached in response to Question 28.

Only OUA will be eligible to register domain names in .study at this stage. The domain name registration processes will address the requirements mandated by ICANN, including rights abuse prevention measures.


18(B)V. 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.

OUA is committed to protection of privacy and confidential information in accordance with its objective of increasing consumer trust and providing a safe and legitimate internet space for internet users. Privacy and confidential information will be protected in accordance with all applicable laws and regulations relating to internet security, privacy and user’s confidential information including the Privacy Act 1988 (Australia).

Privacy is of fundamental concern to most of OUA’s students as such OUA has a strong interest in ensuring a high level of privacy protection for its users. OUA has implemented its own privacy policy that complies with the 10 National Privacy Principles (NPP) listed under the Privacy Act 1988 (Australia) to demonstrate its commitment to the protection of user privacy and confidential information. OUA’s privacy policy includes provisions regarding:

1. Collection of personal information (NPP 1 & 10): OUA will not collect any personal information unless it is necessary for its functions. OUA will inform a user of the purpose of such a collection when the information is needed.

2. Use and disclosure of personal information (NPP 2): OUA will only use the personal information collected for the purpose informed to the user or otherwise permitted by law.

3. Security and quality of personal information (NPP 3 & 4): OUA takes reasonable steps to ensure that the personal information in its collection is accurate, complete and up-to-date and protects the personal information from misuse, loss, unauthorised access, modification or disclosure.

4. Access to and correction of personal information (NPP 5 & 6): OUA allows its users to access their personal information and request for any correction of such information to be made.

5. Commonwealth Government Identifiers (NPP 7): OUA will issue its own identification numbers instead of using Commonwealth government identifiers (such as health insurance numbers) as its own identifier of individuals to protect the privacy of information provided by its users.

6. Anonymity (NPP 8): OUA allows users not to identify themselves when it is lawful and practicable to do so.

7. Transborder Data Flows (NPP 9): OUA complies with the requirements under law relating to transborder data flows.

8. Sensitive information (NPP 10): OUA will not collect sensitive information about its users without their consent unless permitted by law.


As the .study gTLD will only be available to OUA, initially, the amount of personal data that will be collected for the purposes of operating the gTLD and made publicly available in the WHOIS database will be very limited. OUA will provide a publicly available and searchable WHOIS look up facility, where information about the domain name status, registrant information including administrative and technical contact details can be found in accordance with Specification 4 of the Registry Agreement. In order to prevent misuse of the WHOIS look up facility, OUA will utilise measures including a requirement where any person submitting a WHOIS database query is required to read and agree to the terms and conditions in accordance with the registration policy. This will include the terms of use that the WHOIS database is provided for information purposes only and that the user agrees not to use the information for any other purposes such as allowing or enabling the transmission of unsolicited commercial advertising or other communication.

OUA will deploy Domain Name System Security Extensions (DNSSEC) which is intended to benefit both OUA and its users interacting with OUA online. DNSSEC provides additional security by validating information in the transmission, therefore it is intended to benefit those who publish information in the domain name system (DNS) and the users who retrieve information from the new .study gTLD. OUA already implements measures to protect privacy or confidential information of its users against misuse, loss, alteration and unauthorised access. Such measures include the use of Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) data encryption.

OUA will continue to apply all security measures currently implemented and will comply with all other policies and practices required by ICANN in the Registry Agreement and any relevant Consensus Policy for protecting the privacy and confidential information of registrants and users in the new .study domain space.


18(B)VI. DESCRIBE WHETHER AND IN WHAT WAYS OUTREACH AND COMMUNICATIONS WILL HELP TO ACHIEVE YOUR PROJECTED BENEFITS.

The proposed new gTLD will be publicised by a media plan to promote recognition of the new gTLD within the internet community to be a trusted site and as a sign of authenticity.

During the initial stage of the operation of the proposed new gTLD, it is anticipated that internet users may be re-directed to current websites. However, over time, it is foreseen that communication to the internet community of the existence of the proposed new gTLD and encouragement to utilise the trusted site will contribute towards minimising malicious abuses and protecting internet users.

gTLD	Full Legal Name	E-mail suffix	Detail
.art	UK Creative Ideas Limited	whitecase.com	View

18(B)I. WHAT IS THE GOAL OF YOUR PROPOSED gTLD IN TERMS OF AREAS OF SPECIALTY, SERVICE LEVELS OR REPUTATION?

The creation of the .art gTLD will allow for increased speciality through its creation of domain names designed for use specifically for the art industry. It will provide people interested in art with an infrastructure for sharing of information, expertise, products and services, as well as encouraging the creation of various applications by the users themselves. By specialising in the art industry, the .art gTLD intends to open the world of art to internet users, including the art market and a broader audience, to make it easy for anyone to find, buy, and sell original works of visual art. Such services will be supported by the high-quality content and technological innovation of the .art gTLD. It is anticipated that the creation of an industry specific internet space for art will increase the service levels, relevance and accuracy of information that is available to the broader community of internet users. These increased service levels, combined with increased security measures and effective functionality will provide a trusted and positive user experience when engaging with the art community through the .art gTLD.


18(B)II. WHAT DO YOU ANTICIPATE YOUR PROPOSED gTLD WILL ADD TO THE CURRENT SPACE, IN TERMS OF COMPETITION, DIFFERENTIATION, OR INNOVATION?

It is anticipated that the proposed .art gTLD will make positive contributions to the wider internet community by providing:

DIFFERENTIATION (INCREASED TRUST):

The .art gTLD will simplify how internet users interact with the art industry by providing a distinctive domain space for the art industry and internet users more generally to interact. Internet users will be able to access authentic information and resources about art directly through the .art gTLD. The current domain name system has shown that it is vulnerable to malicious abuses due to registration of domain names which seek to exploit consumer confusion. The .art gTLD can address some of these vulnerabilities by maintaining control over the domain names registered under the .art domain space, through its registration policy promoting transparency and protection and its use of technological solutions. The .art gTLD intends to create a unified universal medium to connect all participants of the art industry in order to establish a global platform, where an increased flow of information and access will strengthen the growth of the art community. Additional services such as IPv6 protocol access to services, intelligent and efficient searching mechanisms, and cloud computing technologies based on the Software as a Service (SaaS) business management concept will also be provided as innovative technological solutions for users. Together with increased trust, internet users will be able to rely on the authoritativeness of the domain names under .art domain space, which will differentiate interaction between internet users and the art industry.


COMPETITION:

The differentiation of .art gTLD, as a trusted site for the art industry, will drive existing and new TLD registry operators to make improvements in mechanisms to improve consumer trust of their TLDs. The .art gTLD will encourage internet users to interact with domain names under the .art domain in connection with information and resources for the art industry. The existing TLD registry operators and members of the art community relying on the existing domain names system will be required to address and overcome some of the shortfalls of the existing system. As a result, .art will have a flow on effect to enable increased competition. The benefits of the proposed .art will be distributed not only to industry professionals or its direct customers interacting with an industry specific gTLD, but to the internet community at large forcing improved services and competitive pricing in the market place.


INNOVATION:

With the expansion of the internet community, the existing TLD structure presents limitations, in particular in terms of the ability to register relevant domain names. These limitations are reflected in the difficulties in registering appropriate domain names, as well as determining authentic information associated with professional organisations and businesses. .art intends to overcome some of these shortcomings of the existing domain name system through the registration of second and third level domain names by registrants that are part of the worldwide art community. The anticipated use of geographic names and IDNs is intended to connect internet users with relevant information and encourage linguistic and cultural diversity.

Through the creation of an optimal architecture of software and services, .art will provide all responsible users with access to this new online medium. Along with the general innovation of creating a global network for the art industry, the .art gTLD presents several innovative technological features. The .art gTLD will:

- utilise a hierarchic classification system for domain names to create a searchable global registry of art works, individuals and services, to ensure that that the .art domain is of high-quality and easy to use.

- utilise the IPv6 protocol to create the technological foundations for various services and products.

- offer the premium service of a cloud computing platform based on the SaaS business management concept to allow for content, communications and collaboration management, customer relations management, enterprise resource planning system and supply chain management. This innovative service will provide users with an effective instrument to manage any activity from within the .art gTLD.


The .art gTLD will present a clearly dedicated internet space in which those involved in the art industry, and internet users more generally, may use domain names that are relevant to their knowledge, products or services. .art presents an innovative approach to interaction with the art industry and its associated businesses, addressing the currently unmet needs in the domain name system in terms of consumer choice.


18(B)III. WHAT GOALS DOES YOUR PROPOSED gTLD HAVE IN TERMS OF USER EXPERIENCE?

The proposed .art will provide a positive user experience, which meets the changing and growing needs of the global internet community. Creative Ideas will maintain control over the registration and use of domain names and will ensure that the new gTLD will only be used for purposes in line with the mission and purpose of the .art gTLD. Therefore, .art gTLD will:

- provide an easy and intuitive reference and access point for internet users wanting to engage with the art industry;

- represent authenticity, in accordance with the requirements set out within the registration policy, thus promoting user confidence;

- direct internet users to relevant information in a timely manner by creating domain names on demand;

- use IDNs to enable customer to interact directly in their native language;

- use geographic names to localise its websites to connect with internet users in the relevant regions and to comply with local laws;

- enhance security and minimise security risks by implementing appropriate technical and policy measures; and

- minimise potential abuses in the registration process reducing overall costs to businesses and users.


Creative Ideas intends to create relevant domain names for use including product, services or geographic names in the second or third level domain names. In accordance with the registration policy and the proposed measures for protection of geographic names as outlined in response to Question 22, Creative Ideas will use geographic names to localise its websites in the countries in which its target audience, the worldwide art community, has a significant presence. The use of geographic names is intended to:

- connect internet users with relevant information as applicable to the territory; and

- comply with required rules and regulations in the national territory.


Creative Ideas will also utilise Internationalized Domain Names (IDNs) at the second level, initially utilising the Latin script. The use of IDNs will allow internet users to engage with .art in their native language, creating a more positive user experience and encouraging diversity. The use of IDNs is intended attract and represent the global art community within the .art gTLD. As the use of the .art gTLD evolves, it is anticipated that the use of IDNs, including additional languages, will increase within the .art domain space.

.art should address some of the concerns that the current domain name system is open to potential malicious abuse and user confusion in the registration processes. Although the current system allows an eligible party to lodge a claim through existing Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP) or other dispute resolution processes, the .art gTLD eligibility requirements may reduce potential abuses in the registration processes and overall costs to internet users. User confidence in the domain name system will be strengthened, which will ultimately contribute towards promoting ICANN’s core values in benefiting the public interest.


18(B)IV. PROVIDE A COMPLETE DESCRIPTION OF THE APPLICANTʹS INTENDED REGISTRATION POLICIES IN SUPPORT OF THE GOALS LISTED ABOVE

The proposed registration policy is attached in response to Question 28.

Registrations under the .art gTLD will be open to eligible registrants, that is, those who are part of the art community. This includes artists, owners and keepers of works of art, commercial art organisations (such as galleries and auction and trading houses), not-for-profit organisations (such as museums, foundations, and professional associations), supporting businesses (such as insurance, appraisal, transport) and customers and members of the general public interested in art. Registrants are responsible for the accuracy of the information that they provide. Should the information provided be inaccurate the domain name may be suspended.

In addition, the domain name registration processes in the proposed new gTLD will address the requirements as mandated by ICANN, including but not limited to, rights abuse prevention measures, such as the use of the Trademark Clearinghouse.

If registrants are found in breach of the terms and conditions in the registration policy, the .art gTLD registry will be able to exercise the right to suspend or cancel the registration of the domain name. This should go some way towards deterring non bona fide registrants.


18(B)V. 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.

Creative Ideas is committed to the protection of privacy and confidential information in accordance with its objective of increasing consumer trust and providing a safe and legitimate internet space for internet users. Privacy and confidential information will be protected in accordance with all applicable laws and regulations relating to internet security, privacy and user’s confidential information. Creative Ideas complies with all relevant requirements and standards for the art industry. The .art gTLD will develop a privacy policy and practice which will protect the personal data of its registrants. The .art gTLD and its policy will comply with Specification 9, subsection 1(e), of the Registry Operator Code of Conduct contained within the Registry Agreement.

Creative Ideas will provide a publicly available and searchable WHOIS look up facility, where information about the domain name status, registrant information including administrative and technical contact details can be found in accordance with Specification 4 of the Registry Agreement. In order to prevent misuse of the WHOIS look up facility, Creative Ideas will utilise measures including a requirement where any person submitting a WHOIS database query is required to read and agree to the terms and conditions in accordance with the registration policy. This will include the terms of use that the WHOIS database is provided for information purposes only and that the user agrees not to use the information for any other purposes such as allowing or enabling the transmission of unsolicited commercial advertising or other communication.

Creative Ideas will deploy Domain Name System Security Extensions (DNSSEC) which is intended to benefit both Creative Ideas and its users interacting with Creative Ideas online. DNSSEC provides additional security by validating information in the transmission, therefore it is intended to benefit those who publish information in the domain name system (DNS) and the users who retrieve information from the new .art gTLD.
Further, Creative Ideas will comply with all security measures, policies and practices required by ICANN in the Registry Agreement and any relevant Consensus Policy for protecting the privacy and confidential information of registrants and users in the new .art gTLD.


18(B)VI. DESCRIBE WHETHER AND IN WHAT WAYS OUTREACH AND COMMUNICATIONS WILL HELP TO ACHIEVE YOUR PROJECTED BENEFITS.

The proposed new gTLD will be publicised by a media plan to promote recognition of the new gTLD within the internet community to be a trusted site and as a sign of authenticity. Creative Ideas has an extensive plan to promote the.art gTLD in both the short and long-term.

The media campaign will largely reach out to the target audience of the .art gTLD, including:

- creators of works of art;

- owners of works of art;

- commercial organisations;

- not-for-profit organisations;

- supporting businesses;

- art historians and expert community, and;

- consumers and members of the public interested in art.


Creative Ideas is intending to invest significant resources into the promotion, outreach and communication of its .art gTLD to both the art world and internet users more generally.

Creative Ideas will utilise a variety of media types, such as:

- traditional news media, both print and electronic;

- specialised media targeted at the art and technology industries;

- media of general interest;

- social media;

- events;

- sponsorship, and;

- traditional advertising.


Initially the .art gTLD will allow for re-direction to existing sites to encourage interaction with the .art gTLD in a familiar manner. However, over time, it is foreseen that communication to the internet community of the existence of the proposed new gTLD and encouragement to utilise the trusted site will contribute towards minimising malicious abuses and protecting internet users.