.sky

Status:	Proposed
Registry Provider:	Verisign
Type:	Brand TLD
Priority #:	1369 - Sky IP International Ltd
More information:

.sky is a Brand TLD being proposed in ICANN's New gTLD Program. The applicant is Sky IP International Ltd.

Application Details

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

"The .sky gTLD will be a new generation gTLD providing Sky end-users with an authenticated and trusted Sky internet space where information can be found on the Sky brand, its products and services, its affiliates and partners. The .sky gTLD will be controlled by Sky IP International Limited (Sky IPI) for use by potentially all Sky group companies including the parent company BSkyB Group plc and Sky licensees (all of which shall be collectively referred to as “Sky”). It is anticipated that the primary use of the second level .sky domain names will be to promote and communicate the Sky brand and its broadcasting, media, entertainment and telecommunication services and products. There may be potential for various second and third level .sky gTLD domains to be created for use by Sky home and business customers at a later date. There may also be use of geographic names for second level .sky domains for use by Sky licensees in overseas territories and countries. Furthermore, given the global presence of Sky (as described below), Internationalised Domain Names (IDNs) may also be registered and used for second level .sky domain names. Sky operates, directly or through its licensees, a comprehensive multi-channel, multi-platform television service in the UK, Ireland, Italy, Germany, Brazil and Mexico. It also has a significant global footprint outside of these territories where it broadcasts various services including an Arabic language news service to 19 Middle Eastern countries, and an English language news service to 110 countries throughout Europe, the Asia Pacific region, Australasia, Africa, Latin America and North America. It also operates a number of associated businesses in advertising and marketing, betting and gaming and telecommunications including broadband and telephone services. Sky also has significant sponsorship arrangements including sponsoring the Sky Pro Cycling team, a professional road cycling team. Sky is also involved with well-publicised community initiatives including Sky Ride (an initiative encouraging people to exercise by cycling) and Sky Rainforest Rescue (a campaign to raise awareness and funds to prevent the deforestation of the Amazon rainforest). Customer trust, brand recognition and continuous innovation are paramount considerations in all of the activities of the business. Sky’s business activities are increasingly conducted on the internet and are constantly changing and evolving especially with the convergence of media technologies in delivering content. The volume of commercial transactions over the internet is constantly growing and .sky will simplify and lower transaction costs benefiting Sky and its customers. Furthermore, .sky aims to promote greater user confidence in the security of transactions and⁄or interactions with Sky. Similarly, the .sky gTLD will assure customers of the authenticity of its online promotion and marketing of media, entertainment, betting and gaming, and telecommunication related products and services. Sky IPI’s mission and purpose for the proposed .sky gTLD are aligned with ICANN’s initiatives to promote the public interest and its Affirmation of Commitments which include promoting consumer trust, competition and consumer choice.The .sky registry will be operated centrally with a restricted registration policy where only Sky IPI and⁄or its authorised affiliate entities will be able to register domains for use initially by the Sky group companies and existing and future Sky licensees. Furthermore, .sky domain names are subject to registration standards, policies and procedures under Sky IPI’s control, which eliminates the possibility of malicious conduct within the .sky. Given Sky IPI’s tight control over .sky and its proposed policies and procedures (as described above and throughout this application) to eliminate all possible malicious and abusive conduct within .sky, consumers will be reassured that all .sky domain names are trustworthy and authentic Sky sites. This in turn builds consumer trust and confidence enhancing Sky’s online reputation. Sky’s activities will encourage competition amongst registry operators, whereby existing and new TLD operators will make changes in their mechanisms to improve consumer trust in their own TLDs so that they are at least on part with improvements in consumer trust made by other TLD operators such as Sky IPI. Improved consumer trust and competition will encourage e-commerce thereby increases the number of online transactions and interactions by consumers. The .sky gTLD also presents Sky with a substantial opportunity to market new products and services including user-driven improvement and innovations by creating new second and third level domain names as required. These domain names, including the use of geographic names and IDNs, will promote consumers choice by innovatively increasing the ways consumers can interact with Sky.

Given the initially restricted nature of.sky, the projected number of registrations is likely to be limited. It is anticipated that a small number of domain names will be registered in the first year. Over the next few years, the number of registrations is likely to increase to between 500-1000 domain names as new services and marketing campaigns are developed and implemented. Sky may, at a later date, evaluate the potential in extending .sky access (i.e. use but not registration) to its home and business customers. In making such evaluation, Sky IPI will take due consideration of its continued compliance with all operational, technical and policy requirements. Sky IPI will keep ICANN reasonably informed of any material developments relating to.sky, including compliance with the continued operations instrument obligations as set out in Specification 8 of the Registry Agreement. Sky IPI intends to utilise geographic names and Internationalized Domain Names (IDNs) to support a positive user experience for users regardless of geography or language."

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