.orange

Status:	Proposed
Registry Provider:	Verisign
Type:	Brand TLD
Priority #:	1631 - Orange Brand Services Limited
More information:

.orange is a Brand TLD being proposed in ICANN's New gTLD Program. The applicant is Orange Brand Services Limited.

Application Details

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

"THE MISSION AND PURPOSE OF THE NEW RESTRICTED .ORANGE gTLD IS TO BENEFIT INTERNET USERS BY ENSURING INCREASED TRUST AND CONSUMER CONFIDENCE THROUGH THE ELIMINATION OF USER CONFUSION AND ASSURANCE OF BRAND AUTHENTICITY.

The .orange gTLD will be initially operated as a restricted registry, that is to say Orange will not open up the registry for the registration of domain names to the general public but will instead solely operate the .orange gTLD within the environment of Orange Brand Services Limited (Orange). As a result, Orange can create and control domain names within .orange domain space that promote the identity and authenticity of its brand. In this regard, the .orange gTLD will be used by Orange to provide information, services and resources to its customers in a way that ensures trust and convenience. .orange will provide an authoritative internet space for Orange, its affiliates and partners that are associated with the brand. Second and third level domain names can be utilised for communication and marketing purposes, with internet users assured of brand authenticity. As the use of the new .orange gTLD expands and evolves, Orange may consider offering personalised domain names to its business customers, at a later date. In this endeavour Orange will continue to comply with all operational, technical and policy requirements, as well as maintaining consumer trust and the stability of the internet. Orange will keep ICANN reasonably informed of any material developments relating to the .orange gTLD including compliance with the continued operations instrument obligations as set out in Specification 8 of the Registry Agreement.

Orange is a global telecommunications company, providing a range of mobile and broadband communication services. Orange provides communications services to over 200 million customers in 32 countries across 5 continents. In 2010, the Orange brand was ranked number 50 by Millward Brown Optimor on a list of the world’s most powerful brands, with an estimated brand value of US$17.5 billion. As such, customer trust, brand recognition and continuous innovation are paramount considerations in all of the activities of the business. By creating the .orange gTLD, Orange will strengthen its position as one of the world leaders with a strong focus on innovation and internet technology, combined with its commercial practices."

Name Collision Issues

In October 2013 ICANN released their final assessment and mitigation plan for the Name Collision issue that was facing the New gTLD program. On 18 November 2013, ICANN announced the applied-for strings that were eligible for an alternative path towards delegation that would allow applicants to proceed without waiting for further mitigation research and plans to be published. 25 strings, including .orange, were not eligible for the alternative path, and will have to wait for more plans to be published before continuing towards delegation.