.zara

Status:	Proposed
Registry Provider:	Afilias
Type:	Brand TLD
More information:

.zara is a Brand TLD being proposed in ICANN's New gTLD Program. The applicant is Industria de Diseño Textil, S.A. (INDITEX, S.A.).

Application Details

The following is excerpted from the applicant's response to question #18:

"Inditex is a group with a global footprint, present in over 80 countries, incorporating eight different chains. The Inditex group is growing exponentially, having boosted its strategy on the five continents in the year 2011-12. At the 2011 financial year end, Inditex’s net sales were €13.8 billion, creating a net income of €1.9 billion.

The Inditex group is split into eight main brands: Zara, Pull & Bear, Massimo Dutti, Bershka, Stradivarius, Oysho, Zara Home, Uterqüe, and its stores are located in first-class commercial locations. Inditex’s online presence is also growing, with the group undertaking a clear commitment to developing its corporate web page and social networks. In 2007, it launched an online Zara Home store and in 2010 an online Zara store, with Massimo Dutti, Bershka, Oysho and Stradivarius following suit in 2011. Inditex plans to follow this up with the launch of Zara online sales in China in the Autumn Winter season of 2012. This online presence has been strengthened by the 15 million admirers that the eight chains have accumulated on social networks making Inditex one of the most watched companies on the internet. Inditex is applying for a new gTLD registry for the character string .Zara. Zara is the group’s most prominent brand, with a sales contribution of 64.8% of the total sales generated in 2011. It is an internationally recognisable brand having inaugurated stores in Australia, South Africa, Taiwan, Azerbaijan and Peru in the 2011 financial year, contributing to a total of 5,527 stores in 82 markets at the financial year end.

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The success of the .Zara registry will not be determined by the number of domains created or income generated by registrations as there will not, at least initially, be, a market in Zara domains. The success of the .Zara registry will be judged by the security and stability it brings to Inditex’s communications and the enhancement it provides to the equity that rests in the Zara brand.

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The .Zara registry is a Dot Brand single entity registry established by, and for the use of, the members of the Inditex group of companies and its wholly owned subsidiaries. The Inditex Domain Management Policy defines the rules associated with eligibility, acceptable use, the allocation of domains and dispute resolution. This policy is intended to be updated and revised regularly to reflect Inditex’s commercial and strategic interests and, where appropriate, ICANN consensus policies. The Inditex Domain Name Management team will be responsible for the development of policy. Registration of a .Zara domain name is undertaken in four steps: Eligibility Confirmation, Naming Convention check, Acceptable Use review, and Registration. Each Registrant must be recognised as a bona fide member of the Inditex Group of companies, an employee or subsidiary. An eligibility check will be undertaken. Domains in the .Zara registry cannot be assigned to third parties except with the approval of the Inditex Domain Name Management team. At any time, the Inditex Domain Name Management team may revoke a domain in the .Zara registry if that is in the best commercial or strategic interests of the Group."