Status: Proposed
Registry Provider: ARI Registry Services
Type: Brand TLD

More information:

.honda is a Brand TLD being proposed in ICANN's New gTLD Program. The applicant is Honda Motor Co., Ltd.[1]

Application Details[edit | edit source]

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

"The TLD is intended to benefit Internet users by enabling Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as ʺThe Companyʺ) to communicate more easily and effectively with all Internet users, and particularly with The Company’s numerous customers, employees and affiliates. The TLD will become a supporting branding, technology and services platform for The Company’s mission and its businesses.

The Company is a long established and well known multinational corporation, with a history spanning more than 64 years. It was founded in 1948 and its headquarters are located in Tokyo, Japan. The Company is currently comprised of a group of 382 companies, undertaking business in over 52 countries with a total workforce of 179,060 employees (as of March 31, 2011, consolidated basis).

The Company is considered to be one of the leading companies in the manufacture and sale of motorcycles, automobiles and power products. The net sales for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2011 were up to JPY8,936,867,000,000 (consolidated basis).

The Company has established a long term, sustainable vision for the development of its business and its strong internet presence, along with technologies such as the World Wide Web and email, are central to this development. This is also reflected by the Companyʹs domain portfolio, of over 450 domains. The Company envisions that the .HONDA TLD and the domain names registered under it will provide a great opportunity to interact online with current and potential customers and stakeholders.

The brand ʺHONDAʺ is the name of the company itself and is a well known multinational corporate brand. This brand was established in 1947, and has continuously been used as the name of the company since 1948, the year the company was founded. The Company has registered this corporate brand in over 178 countries and⁄or trademark jurisdictional regions. This corporate brand serves to clearly remind general customers of the companyʹs goods and services.

The .HONDA Registry will provide an Internet space, under the control of The Company, to allow for the distribution and exchange of information among The Company and its stakeholders by means of, but not limited to, websites, social networks, email and other technologies that will reside within the .HONDA domain name space. In addition, ancillary services may be provided in relation to registration of domains within the TLD, including but not limited to website hosting, SEO, marketing and consulting services.

The Company initially intends to reserve all names within the TLD for itself, and to primarily use any of those domain names for promotional and navigational purposes relating to The Companyʹs online presence and⁄or provision of goods and services.

Eventually, though not likely for at least three years post-delegation, The Company anticipates the possibility that Affiliates could license the use of domains within the TLD from The Company. However, such licenses could only be made via contract which limits the use of the domain name to purposes specified by The Company. Such terms would be enforced via monitoring and quick action to mitigate any negative effects of any such abuse, if any. Licenses of the domain names could be revoked by The Company at any time, for any reason."[2]

References[edit | edit source]