.lanxess

Status:	Proposed
Registry Provider:	Neustar
Type:	Brand TLD
Priority #:	651 - LANXESS Corporation
More information:

.lanxess is a Brand TLD being proposed in ICANN's New gTLD Program. The applicant is LANXESS Corporation.

Application Details

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

"Applicant believes the operation of closed branded TLDs will promote competition by insuring best in class practices among registry service providers and registrars who will strive to meet the highest standards of corporate registry owners, who have elected to put their brand on a TLD.

The ability to improve security and stability within the closed TLD will enhance consumer trust in the operation of the internet. When a highly respected company such as Lanxess puts its name on the TLD, customers will rightly trust that the TLD will represent the highest possible standards in the industry and that Lanxess stands behind the operation of the TLD and has selected industry leaders as its service provider partners.

The existence of branded TLDs will promote consumer choice by giving consumers the ability to focus on trusted brands for their dealings on the internet; such choice is increased as the closed branded TLD model becomes more common. Applicant considers user trust, security and stability to be critical features of its TLD plans, and therefore intends to utilize best in class procedures to avoid cybersquatting, phishing, piracy and confusion within the TLD, and has chosen to work with service providers who meet the highest standards for data protection, stabile operations, and privacy protection.

Applicant further believes that the risks and problems involved in the launch of gTLDs is mitigated or fully avoided in the case of closed branded TLDs since there is a single registrant controlling the use of a limited number branded domain names. The safeguards that accomplish this include the fact that the registry is available to a single registrant who is the owner of the brand reflected by the domain name with a vested interest in the continued integrity and reputation of that brand. As a result, there is no risk of cybersquatting, abusive registration or misuse of the domain by unscrupulous registrants. Similarly, there is no incentive to engage in speculative registration of unnecessary domain names for resale, pay per click advertising or other monetization schemes. This will reduce clutter in the domain name space by insuring that all active domains have business purpose relevant to the brand, thereby enhancing the utility for use by customers, consumers and other internet users.

The nature of the TLD as a closed branded registry also eliminates introduction and expansion problems caused by the rush of applicants to secure prime domain names, since the only eligible registrant is the owner of the brand reflected in the TLD. This leaves little possibility for conflict between competing parties claiming interest in identical or confusingly similar names during the introduction of the domain. To further prevent that possibility, Applicant as a brand owner, will adopt the best practices of dispute resolution and avoidance so that any unintentional conflicts can be quickly and effectively resolved."

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