| Status: | Proposed |
| Registry Provider: | Neustar |
| Type: | Brand TLD |
| Priority #: | 277 - Mattel Sites, Inc. |
.mattel is a Brand TLD being proposed in ICANN's New gTLD Program. The applicant is Mattel Sites, Inc.[1]
Application Details
The following is excerpted from the applicant's response to question #18:
"Mattel Inc. (“Mattel”) is a global leader engaged in the development, manufacture, and sale of toy-related products, with approximately 28,000 employees and operations in numerous countries. In 2011, Mattel had net sales of over $6.2 billion with $3.1 billion in gross profit, and its common stock is traded on NASDAQ under the symbol MAT. Headquartered in El Segundo, California, Mattel has customers all across the globe and has a strong international presence. In 2011, Mattel’s international segment revenue represented 48 percent of its consolidated gross sales. Mattel’s products can be purchased worldwide and its content is accessible in the .COM gTLD and also in multiple ccTLDs, including .BR, .CA, .CL, .CN, .DE, and. JP. In order to apply for the .MATTEL gTLD, Mattel has decided to use an existing subsidiary, Mattel Sites, Inc. (“Mattel Sites”) as the entity to file this application and bring the .MATTEL gTLD to market.
Mattel will be analyzing and evaluating other .BRAND gTLD applications, as well as general market adoption, to determine short- and long-term potential best-in-class use case options to more effectively serve and enhance Mattel’s online strategy. Mattel has three global operating segments, identified as: Mattel Girls & Boys Brands, Fisher-Price Brands, and American Girl Brands. These individual segments develop, manufacture, and sell world-famous branded products, games, and puzzles.
The potential use of the .MATTEL gTLD by these or other business segments will also be driven by Mattel’s future business strategies, as identified in its annual report and investor filings, see http:⁄⁄investor.shareholder.com⁄mattel⁄.
The intended future mission and purpose of the .MATTEL gTLD is to serve as a trusted, hierarchical, and intuitive namespace provided by Mattel and its qualified subsidiaries and affiliates for its consumers. Mattel Sites is committed to moving forward with the .MATTEL gTLD application; however, at the time of filing this application, there has not been enough time, and currently there is not enough market information available, to fully analyze and evaluate all potential use case options.
Although ICANN has not specifically recognized a .BRAND gTLD specification in the current version of the Applicant Guidebook, it is widely anticipated within the brand-owner community that this will become a specialty subset of new gTLDs. The .MATTEL gTLD is planned as a branded gTLD, with the goal of protecting Mattel’s online presence and identity, expanding its marketing and promotion efforts, providing a secure channel for online products and services, and offering a platform through which to consolidate many of the intellectual property activities of Mattel.
Mattel Sites intends to initially limit registration and use of domain names within the .MATTEL gTLD to Mattel and its qualified subsidiaries and affiliates. This initial limited use will allow Mattel Sites to establish its operations and achieve full sustainability. This limited distribution coupled with the other requirements set forth in Specification 9 of the template Registry Agreement is intended to exempt Mattel Sites from ICANN’s annual Code of Conduct Compliance requirements."[2]