.schmidt

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Status:	Delegated
Registry Provider:	ARI Registry Services
Date Implemented:	3 July 2014
Type:	Brand TLD
Priority #:	1016 - SALM S.A.S.

.schmidt is a Brand TLD delegated in ICANN's New gTLD Program. SALM S.A.S. manages the TLD and is its Registry. The proposed application succeeded and was delegated to the Root Zone on 03 July, 2014.

Application Details

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

"The mission⁄purpose of the .schmidt TLD is to promote the Schmidt brand of S.A.L.M S.A.S., the Société Alsacienne de Meubles (or Alsatian Furniture Society, which is referred to throughout this answer as ‘SALM’) and provide an authoritative, intuitive and cohesive online space through which to communicate and showcase the many facets of the Schmidt brand.

The Schmidt brand has been associated with high quality kitchen furniture for more than 50 years. In 1983, the company founded by Hubert Schmidt was re-named SALM, Société Alsacienne de Meubles. Today, in addition to being the number one French kitchen brand and the top French exporter of kitchen elements, Schmidt has 450 customer advice centres located in 21 countries worldwide.

Schmidt offers a diverse range of tailor-made products and services and is widely acknowledged as a leader in its industry. It has reached this position of strength as a result of its continuous commitment to innovation. Schmidtʹs expertise is based on more than 50 years of experience, and is accompanied by a will to continually strive to meet customers’ needs. The .schmidt TLD is a natural extension and continuation of that innovation and commitment.

SALM sees the .schmidt TLD as a unique opportunity to engage with its customer base in a clearer and easier way. SALM envisions that the .schmidt TLD will be one of the first TLDs dedicated exclusively to promoting a single brand. New .schmidt domain names and content on .schmidt websites will serve the digital needs of the Schmidt brand and facilitate clear and consistent engagement with customers by SALM and its affiliates. The TLD will ensure that Schmidt’s digital presence is capable of fulfilling the needs of the company’s growing customer base and the ever-changing, ever-expanding Internet landscape.

To enable this TLD operating model, SALM intends to request an exemption from clause 1b of the Registry Operator Code of Conduct (Specification 9) pursuant to clause 6 of the Code of Conduct to enable it to register domain names in its own right in the .schmidt TLD. Registrations will not be made commercially available; all domain name registrations in the TLD will be registered to and maintained by SALM for its own exclusive use. SALM will not sell, distribute or transfer control or use of any registration in the TLD to any third party that is not an affiliate, as that term is defined in clause 2.9(c) of the Registry Agreement.

SALM plans to consolidate the online presence of the Schmidt brand by transitioning existing Schmidt domain names and online platforms to an authoritative, dedicated, and trusted online space that is clearly, concisely and relevantly named. Schmidt customers – current and prospective – will be able to interact with the Schmidt brand in the online environment with confidence. Domain names will be used to market Schmidt products and promotions in support of SALM’s core business strategies. The use of an authoritative space will also help to reduce and⁄or eliminate domain names that are registered for the purposes of infringing the Schmidt trademark (including FR-1500700, FR-1451133, FR-1549930 and WO-532502)."