Changes

===Former Applicants===

===Former Applicants===

# [[Progressive Casualty Insurance Co.]]<ref>[http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/national/2012/06/13/251254.htm/ In Expanded Internet Naming Game, Who Will Own .insurance?]</ref>

# [[Progressive Casualty Insurance Co.]]<ref>[http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/national/2012/06/13/251254.htm/ In Expanded Internet Naming Game, Who Will Own .insurance?]</ref>

===ABA & BITS Bid (fTLD Registry Services)===

===ABA & BITS Bid (fTLD Registry Services)===

ABA and BITS confirmed their application for the .insurance and [[.bank]] TLDs in a press statement released on May 31, 2012. [[Craig Schwartz]],  head of operations for Financial TLD Initiative, said that the partnership aims to "provide the highest security for the millions of customers conducting banking and insurance activities online and to ensure the safety and soundness of the industry." ABA & BITS applications for both domain name strings are supported by a number of financial services organizations including  the Australian Bankers’ Association, American Bankers Insurance Association, British Bankers’ Association, European Banking Federation, Independent Community Bankers of America and the the International Banking Federation.<ref>[http://www.bits.org/publications/pr/BITSandABADomainRelease053112.pdf ABA and The Financial Services Roundtable Apply for Financial Domains to Protect Consumers]</ref> The partnership formed the [[fTLD Registry Services, LLC]] to manage and operate .insurance and .bank domain name space.<ref>[http://www.bits.org/initiatives/fTLD.php Financial Top Level Domain Initiative]</ref>

ABA and BITS confirmed their application for the .insurance and [[.bank]] TLDs in a press statement released on May 31, 2012. [[Craig Schwartz]],  head of operations for Financial TLD Initiative, said that the partnership aims to "provide the highest security for the millions of customers conducting banking and insurance activities online and to ensure the safety and soundness of the industry." ABA & BITS applications for both domain name strings are supported by a number of financial services organizations including  the Australian Bankers’ Association, American Bankers Insurance Association, British Bankers’ Association, European Banking Federation, Independent Community Bankers of America and the the International Banking Federation.<ref>[http://www.bits.org/publications/pr/BITSandABADomainRelease053112.pdf ABA and The Financial Services Roundtable Apply for Financial Domains to Protect Consumers]</ref> The partnership formed the [[fTLD Registry Services, LLC]] to manage and operate .insurance and .bank domain name space.<ref>[http://www.bits.org/initiatives/fTLD.php Financial Top Level Domain Initiative]</ref>

The warning states that the applicant is "seeking exlcusive access to a common generic string .. that relates to a broad market sector," which Ms. Dryden notes could have unintended consequences and a negative impact on competition."<ref>[https://gacweb.icann.org/download/attachments/22938690/Insurance-AU-14573.pdf?version=1&modificationDate=1353428975000 Insurance AU, GACweb.ICANN.org] Retrieved 25 Nov 2012</ref>

The warning states that the applicant is "seeking exlcusive access to a common generic string .. that relates to a broad market sector," which Ms. Dryden notes could have unintended consequences and a negative impact on competition."<ref>[https://gacweb.icann.org/download/attachments/22938690/Insurance-AU-14573.pdf?version=1&modificationDate=1353428975000 Insurance AU, GACweb.ICANN.org] Retrieved 25 Nov 2012</ref>

The application was subsequently '''WITHDRAWN'''.

The application was subsequently '''WITHDRAWN'''.

==References==

==References==

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