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Two-Character Letter/Letter Label Comments and Mitigation Measures

As of 13 December 2016, this page is no longer active. Please visit here for more information.

For comments submitted before 6 October 2015, view the archive of comments received.

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TLD  Two
Characters  		Comments from GovernmentLast
updated  		RO Mitigation PlanRO NameBRAND TLD
salonsgView Comments
2016-03-21
2016-03-21View Mitigation

salon Mitigation

By Donuts Inc.

Attached.


View Documents
2016-04-25

Donuts Inc.No
schwarzsgView Comments
2016-03-21
2016-03-21No
stadasgView Comments
2016-03-21
2016-03-21Yes
statefarmsgView Comments
2016-03-21
2016-03-21Yes
toraysgView Comments
2016-03-21
2016-03-21Yes
webersgView Comments
2016-03-21
2016-03-21Yes
williamhillsgView Comments
2016-03-21
2016-03-21Yes
wolterskluwersgView Comments
2016-03-21
2016-03-21View Mitigation

wolterskluwer Mitigation

By Wolters Kluwer N.V.

Proposed Measure to Avoid Confusion—Brand TLD (Specification 13)

Provide a brief explanation of the TLD:

.WOLTERSKLUWER TLD is a closed Brand new gTLD operated by Wolters Kluwer N.V.

Protections:

Wolters Kluwer N.V. for the .WOLTERSKLUWER TLD has executed Specification 13 to the Registry Agreement. Specification 13 already contractually requires that Wolters Kluwer N.V. will apply measures which, by their very nature, avoid confusion with the corresponding country code, namely the following:

1. .WOLTERSKLUWER is identical to a qualifying registered trademark;
2. .WOLTERSKLUWER is not a Generic String, as this is defined in Specification 11;
3. .WOLTERSKLUWER TLD has developed and will implement a closed registration policy for .WOLTERSKLUWER that requires that all domain names in the .WOLTERSKLUWER TLD be registered ONLY by Registry Operator, its Affiliates, and its Trademark Licensees;
4. As required under the Registry Agreement, the .WOLTERSKLUWER TLD will clearly publish this registration policy;
5. .WOLTERSKLUWER TLD will conduct internal reviews at least once per calendar year to ensure continued compliance with Specification 13.

Compliance with Specification 13 prohibits the .WOLTERSKLUWER TLD from registering domain names to unaffiliated third parties and thus clearly designate to the public that .WOLTERSKLUWER TLD is a proprietary space in which all second-level domains in the TLD are being operated by Wolters Kluwer N.V., its Affiliates and Trademark Licensees and not the government or the corresponding country code operator. By this Wolters Kluwer N.V. confirms that all registrations of two letter domain names shall comply with the requirements of Specification 13.


2016-04-05

Wolters Kluwer N.V.Yes
abbviesnView Comments
2016-04-29
2016-04-29Yes
amicasnView Comments
2016-04-29
2016-04-29Yes
appsnView Comments
2016-04-29
2016-04-29No
axasnView Comments
2016-04-29
2016-04-29Yes
beautysnView Comments
2016-04-29
2016-04-29No
bestbuysnView Comments
2016-04-29
2016-04-29Yes
contactsnView Comments
2016-04-29
2016-04-29No
dhlsnView Comments
2016-04-29
2016-04-29Yes
epostsnView Comments
2016-04-29
2016-04-29Yes
extraspacesnView Comments
2016-04-29
2016-04-29Yes
farmerssnView Comments
2016-04-29
2016-04-29Yes
feedbacksnView Comments
2016-04-29
2016-04-29No
fordsnView Comments
2016-04-29
2016-04-29Yes
forumsnView Comments
2016-04-29
2016-04-29No
godaddysnView Comments
2016-04-29
2016-04-29Yes
groupsnView Comments
2016-04-29
2016-04-29View Mitigation

group Mitigation

By Donuts Inc.

Attached.


View Documents
2016-04-25

Donuts Inc.No
hairsnView Comments
2016-04-29
2016-04-29No
lexussnView Comments
2016-04-29
2016-04-29Yes
lincolnsnView Comments
2016-04-29
2016-04-29Yes
lipsysnView Comments
2016-04-29
2016-04-29Yes
locussnView Comments
2016-04-29
2016-04-29Yes
ltdsnView Comments
2016-04-29
2016-04-29View Mitigation

ltd Mitigation

By Donuts Inc.

Attached.


View Documents
2016-04-25

Donuts Inc.No
lundbecksnView Comments
2016-04-29
2016-04-29Yes
makeupsnView Comments
2016-04-29
2016-04-29No
mansnView Comments
2016-04-29
2016-04-29View Mitigation

man Mitigation

By MAN SE

.man is a closed Brand TLD for the sole and exclusive use of MAN SE.

Protections
MAN SE (Registry Operator) for the .man TLD has executed Specification 13 to the Registry Agreement. Specification 13 already contractually requires that the Registry Operator will apply measures which, by their very nature, avoid confusion with the corresponding country code, namely the following:

.man is identical to a qualifying registered trademark;
.man is not a Generic String, as this is defined in Specification 11;
Registry Operator has developed and implemented a closed registration policy for .man that requires that all domain names in the .man TLD be registered only by MAN SE, its Affiliates, and its Trademark Licensees.

As required under the Registry Agreement, the Registry Operator published this registration policy on its website.

Registry Operator will conduct internal reviews at least once per calendar year to ensure continued compliance with Specification 13.

Compliance with Specification 13 prohibits the Registry Operator from registering domain names to unaffiliated third parties and thus clearly designate to the public that .man TLD is a proprietary space in which all second-level domains in the TLD are being operated by the Registry Operator, its Affiliates and Trademark Licensees and not the governments or the corresponding country code operators.

By this text MAN SE confirms that all registrations of two letter domain names shall comply with the requirements of Specification 13.


2016-04-21

MAN SEYes
mcdsnView Comments
2016-04-29
2016-04-29Yes
mcdonaldssnView Comments
2016-04-29
2016-04-29Yes
medsnView Comments
2016-04-29
2016-04-29No
mensnView Comments
2016-04-29
2016-04-29View Mitigation

men Mitigation

By Famous Four Media Limited

By Famous Four media Limited.

Registry Operator understands the concern that confusion may arise, and in order to avoid such confusion is willing to offer the following:

1. Registry Operator will commit to:

a. investigate any reports of misuse, including misleading or deceptive conduct, including those from any relevant governments, and provide a written report in response; and

b. where, in Registry Operator’s sole opinion, misuse has occurred, cause the domain name’s records to be removed from the DNS.

2. Registry Operator will enforce the terms of its Acceptable Use and Take down Policy against Registrants.

3. Should a Registrant fail to comply with the Acceptable Use and Take down Policy, the domain names may be cancelled, locked, placed on hold, transferred or deleted. Thus, all Registrants in the TLDs, including ourselves, have an obligation to avoid confusion with two letter country codes and we have clear penalties for any failure to do so.


2016-04-25

Famous Four Media LimitedNo
nadexsnView Comments
2016-04-29
2016-04-29Yes
nextsnView Comments
2016-04-29
2016-04-29Yes
nextdirectsnView Comments
2016-04-29
2016-04-29Yes
nissaysnView Comments
2016-04-29
2016-04-29Yes
officesnView Comments
2016-04-29
2016-04-29Yes
pidsnView Comments
2016-04-29
2016-04-29No
playstationsnView Comments
2016-04-29
2016-04-29Yes
promosnView Comments
2016-04-29
2016-04-29No
racingsnView Comments
2016-04-29
2016-04-29View Mitigation

racing Mitigation

By Famous Four Media Limited

By Famous Four media Limited.

Registry Operator understands the concern that confusion may arise, and in order to avoid such confusion is willing to offer the following:

1. Registry Operator will commit to:

a. investigate any reports of misuse, including misleading or deceptive conduct, including those from any relevant governments, and provide a written report in response; and

b. where, in Registry Operator’s sole opinion, misuse has occurred, cause the domain name’s records to be removed from the DNS.

2. Registry Operator will enforce the terms of its Acceptable Use and Take down Policy against Registrants.

3. Should a Registrant fail to comply with the Acceptable Use and Take down Policy, the domain names may be cancelled, locked, placed on hold, transferred or deleted. Thus, all Registrants in the TLDs, including ourselves, have an obligation to avoid confusion with two letter country codes and we have clear penalties for any failure to do so.


2016-04-25

Famous Four Media LimitedNo
realtorsnView Comments
2016-04-29
2016-04-29No
realtysnView Comments
2016-04-29
2016-04-29No
riosnView Comments
2016-04-29
2016-04-29No
salonsnView Comments
2016-04-29
2016-04-29View Mitigation

salon Mitigation

By Donuts Inc.

Attached.


View Documents
2016-04-25

Donuts Inc.No
schaefflersnView Comments
2016-04-29
2016-04-29Yes
sharpsnView Comments
2016-04-29
2016-04-29Yes
skinsnView Comments
2016-04-29
2016-04-29No
stadasnView Comments
2016-04-29
2016-04-29Yes
statefarmsnView Comments
2016-04-29
2016-04-29Yes
storagesnView Comments
2016-04-29
2016-04-29No
streamsnView Comments
2016-04-29
2016-04-29View Mitigation

stream Mitigation

By Famous Four Media Limited

By Famous Four media Limited.

Registry Operator understands the concern that confusion may arise, and in order to avoid such confusion is willing to offer the following:

1. Registry Operator will commit to:

a. investigate any reports of misuse, including misleading or deceptive conduct, including those from any relevant governments, and provide a written report in response; and

b. where, in Registry Operator’s sole opinion, misuse has occurred, cause the domain name’s records to be removed from the DNS.

2. Registry Operator will enforce the terms of its Acceptable Use and Take down Policy against Registrants.

3. Should a Registrant fail to comply with the Acceptable Use and Take down Policy, the domain names may be cancelled, locked, placed on hold, transferred or deleted. Thus, all Registrants in the TLDs, including ourselves, have an obligation to avoid confusion with two letter country codes and we have clear penalties for any failure to do so.


2016-06-20

Famous Four Media LimitedNo
tdksnView Comments
2016-04-29
2016-04-29Yes
tiffanysnView Comments
2016-04-29
2016-04-29Yes
toyotasnView Comments
2016-04-29
2016-04-29Yes
williamhillsnView Comments
2016-04-29
2016-04-29Yes
xn--estv75gsnView Comments
2016-04-29
2016-04-29Yes
insuranceeuView Comments
2016-01-28
2016-05-24View Mitigation

insurance Mitigation

By fTLD Registry Services, LLC

Please see the attached file that details fTLD Registry Services' implementation plan for .BANK and .INSURANCE to avoid confusion with corresponding country codes.


View Documents
2016-04-20

fTLD Registry Services, LLCNo
suckseuView Comments
2016-01-28
2016-05-24View Mitigation

sucks Mitigation

By Vox Populi Registry Ltd.

Proposed Measure to Avoid Confusion—Phased Allocation

dotSucks is designed to help consumers find their voices and allow companies to find the value in criticism. Each dotSucks domain has the potential to become an essential part of every organization’s customer relationship management program.

Phased Allocation - Upon the release of the letter/letter combination corresponding to the following objected to country codes (ai, bh, bm, ci, cn, eg, gb, il, in, io, it, kr, ky, me, ms, pt, ru, sg, sh, su, tc, tw, uk), Registry Operator will provide an exclusive thirty (30) day period in which registration of such letter/letter combination will be made only available to the applicable country code manager as listed at: http://www.iana.org/domains/root/db/

This type of phased allocation has been previously approved by ICANN as an acceptable and complete measure to avoid confusion with applicable country codes.

For example, .TRAVEL included the following in its RSEP on 18 May 2009:
“In seeking to minimize any confusion with county codes, Tralliance will initially place all two-letter country code names, as listed in the ISO 31-66 list, in the RFP allocation round and will seek expressions of interest from all country code managers for their respective two-character names. Tralliance will allocate two letter country codes to any corresponding country code managers (as listed at: http://www.iana.org/domains/root/db/) that desire to register their name, with no restriction other that payment of normal registration fees and a commitment to use the registered name.”

The Board approved the change via a resolution on 5 August 2010: https://www.icann.org/resources/board- material/resolutions-2010-08-05-en.

At that time, the amendment to the .TRAVEL Registry Agreement permitted release of 2 characters through a Phased Allocation Program https://www.icann.org/resources/unthemed-pages/travel-appendix-7-2010-08-23-en).

.TRAVEL has subsequently entered into a new gTLD Registry Agreement with ICANN and carried over the previous Board- approved release of two-characters through its phased allocation program. Current .TRAVEL Specification 5 language:
“All single-character and two-character labels that were previously reserved by the Registry Operator prior to the Effective Date of this Registry Agreement may be allocated through ICANN-accredited registrars according to a phased allocation program (“Phased Allocation Program”). The domain names included within the scope of the Phased Allocation Program shall be limited to a single and two-character labels. Registry Operator reserves the right to not allocate all single and two-character labels. Pursuant to the Phased Allocation Program, Registry Operator may elect to allocate labels by applying one or more of the following processes: 1) request for proposals and allocation based on evaluation criteria; 2) auction; or 3) first come, first serve registration.”

Similar Phased Allocation Programs have been approved by ICANN as an implementation of measures to avoid confusion with corresponding country codes in .BIZ, .INFO, .ORG, and .JOBS.


2016-04-22

Vox Populi Registry Ltd.No
shoppingeuView Comments
2016-05-24
2016-05-24No
gameseuView Comments
2016-06-30
2016-06-30No
shoppingeuView Comments
2016-06-30
2016-06-30No
insuranceesView Comments
2016-01-26
2016-07-06View Mitigation

insurance Mitigation

By fTLD Registry Services, LLC

Please see the attached file that details fTLD Registry Services' implementation plan for .BANK and .INSURANCE to avoid confusion with corresponding country codes.


View Documents
2016-04-20

fTLD Registry Services, LLCNo
doctoresView Comments
2016-07-06
2016-07-06No
bmsptView Comments
2016-02-01
2016-07-22View Mitigation

bms Mitigation

By Bristol Myers Squibb

Proposed Measure to Avoid Confusion—Brand TLD (Specification 13)
Provide a brief explanation of the TLD: BRISTOL-MYERS SQUIBB COMPANY has applied for .BMS to run a closed .brand environment.
Protections
BRISTOL-MYERS SQUIBB COMPANY, for the .BMS TLD, has executed Specification 13 to the Registry Agreement. Specification 13 already contractually requires that BRISTOL-MYERS SQUIBB COMPANY will apply measures which, by their very nature, avoid confusion with the corresponding country code, namely the following:
1. .BMS is identical to a qualifying registered trademark;
2. .BMS is not a Generic String, as this is defined in Specification 11;
3. .BMS has developed and will implement a closed registration policy for .BMS that requires that all domain names in the .BMS TLD be registered ONLY by Registry Operator, its Affiliates, and its Trademark Licensees;
4. As required under the Registry Agreement, the .BMS TLD will clearly publish this registration policy;
5. .BMS TLD will conduct internal reviews at least once per calendar year to ensure continued compliance with Specification 13.
Compliance with Specification 13 prohibits the .BMS TLD from registering domain names to unaffiliated third parties and thus clearly designate to the public that .BMS TLD is a proprietary space in which all second-level domains in the TLD are being operated by BRISTOL-MYERS SQUIBB COMPANY. - its Affiliates and Trademark Licensees and not the Government or the corresponding country code operator.
By this letter, BRISTOL-MYERS SQUIBB COMPANY confirms that all registrations of two letter domain names shall comply with the requirements of Specification 13.


2016-04-20

Bristol Myers SquibbYes
cscptView Comments
2016-02-01
2016-07-22View Mitigation

csc Mitigation

By Alliance-One Services, Inc.

.CSC gTLD Confusion Avoidance Plan
Alliance-One Services, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Computer Sciences Corporation, and the Registry Operator for the .CSC gTLD, has executed Specification 13 to the Registry Agreement. Specification 13 already contractually requires that Alliance-One Services, Inc. will apply measures which, by their very nature, avoid confusion with the corresponding country code, namely the following:
1. .CSC is identical to a qualifying registered trademark;
2. .CSC is not a Generic String, as the term is defined in Specification 11 of the Registry Agreement;
3. Alliance-One Services, Inc. has developed and will implement a closed registration policy for .CSC that requires that all domain names in the .CSC gTLD be registered ONLY by Registry Operator, its Affiliates, and its Trademark Licensees;
4. As required under the Registry Agreement, Alliance-One Services, Inc. submitted this policy as part of its application for Specification 13 and has clearly published this registration policy; and
5. .CSC will conduct internal reviews at least once per calendar year to ensure continued compliance with Specification 13, as required by the Registry Agreement.
Compliance with Specification 13 prohibits the .CSC gTLD from registering domain names to unaffiliated third parties and thus clearly designates to the public that the .CSC gTLD is a proprietary space in which all second-level domains in the gTLD are being operated by Alliance-One Services, Inc., its Affiliates and Trademark Licensees and not any government or corresponding country-code TLD operator.
With this submission, Alliance-One Services, Inc. confirms that all registrations of two-letter domain names shall comply with the requirements of Specification 13.


2016-04-26

Alliance-One Services, Inc.Yes
freeptView Comments
2016-02-01
2016-07-22No
graingerptView Comments
2016-02-01
2016-07-22View Mitigation

grainger Mitigation

By Grainger Registry Services, LLC

.GRAINGER gTLD Confusion Avoidance Plan

Grainger Registry Services, LLC, the Registry Operator for the .GRAINGER gTLD, has executed Specification 13 to the Registry Agreement. Specification 13 already contractually requires that Grainger Registry Services, LLC will apply measures which, by their very nature, avoid confusion with the corresponding country code, namely the following:

1. .GRAINGER is identical to a qualifying registered trademark;
2. .GRAINGER is not a Generic String, as the term is defined in Specification 11 of the Registry Agreement;
3. Grainger Registry Services, LLC has developed and will implement a closed registration policy for .GRAINGER that requires that all domain names in the .GRAINGER gTLD be registered ONLY by Registry Operator, its Affiliates, and its Trademark Licensees;
4. As required under the Registry Agreement, Grainger Registry Services, LLC submitted this policy as part of its application for Specification 13 and has clearly published this registration policy; and
5. .GRAINGER will conduct internal reviews at least once per calendar year to ensure continued compliance with Specification 13, as required by the Registry Agreement.

Compliance with Specification 13 prohibits the .GRAINGER gTLD from registering domain names to unaffiliated third parties and thus clearly designates to the public that the .GRAINGER gTLD is a proprietary space in which all second-level domains in the gTLD are being operated by Grainger Registry Services, LLC, its Affiliates and Trademark Licensees and not any government or corresponding country-code TLD operator.

With this submission, Grainger Registry Services, LLC confirms that all registrations of two-letter domain names shall comply with the requirements of Specification 13.


2016-04-25

Grainger Registry Services, LLCYes
insuranceptView Comments
2016-02-01
2016-07-22View Mitigation

insurance Mitigation

By fTLD Registry Services, LLC

Please see the attached file that details fTLD Registry Services' implementation plan for .BANK and .INSURANCE to avoid confusion with corresponding country codes.


View Documents
2016-04-20

fTLD Registry Services, LLCNo
juniperptView Comments
2016-02-01
2016-07-22Yes
lanxessptView Comments
2016-02-01
2016-07-22View Mitigation

lanxess Mitigation

By LANXESS Corporation

Provide a brief explanation of the TLD:
LANXESS Corporation has applied for .LANXESS to run a closed .brand environment.

Protections
LANXESS Corporation for the .LANXESS TLD has executed Specification 13 to the Registry Agreement. Specification 13 already contractually requires that the LANXESS Corporation will apply measures which, by their very nature, avoid confusion with the corresponding country code, namely the following:
1. .LANXESS is identical to a qualifying registered trademark;
2. .LANXESS is not a Generic String, as this is defined in Specification 11;
3. .LANXESS TLD has developed and will implement a closed registration policy for .LANXESS that requires that all domain names in the .LANXESS TLD be registered ONLY by Registry Operator, its Affiliates, and its Trademark Licensees;
4. As required under the Registry Agreement, the .LANXESS TLD will clearly publish this registration policy;
5. .LANXESS TLD will conduct internal reviews at least once per calendar year to ensure continued compliance with Specification 13.

Compliance with Specification 13 prohibits the .LANXESS TLD from registering domain names to unaffiliated third parties and thus clearly designate to the public that .LANXESS TLD is a proprietary space in which all second-level domains in the TLD are being operated by LANXESS Corporation, its Affiliates and Trademark Licensees and not the government or the corresponding country code operator.
By this letter LANXESS Corporation confirms that all registrations of two letter domain names shall comply with the requirements of Specification 13.


2016-04-25

LANXESS CorporationYes
latrobeptView Comments
2016-02-01
2016-07-22View Mitigation

latrobe Mitigation

By Latrobe University

Proposed Measure to Avoid Confusion—Brand TLD (Specification 13)
Provide a brief explanation of the TLD: La Trobe University has applied for .LATROBE to run a closed .brand environment.
Protections
La Trobe University for the .LATROBE TLD has executed Specification 13 to the Registry Agreement. Specification 13 already contractually requires that La Trobe University will apply measures which, by their very nature, avoid confusion with the corresponding country code, namely the following:
1. .LATROBE is identical to a qualifying registered trademark;
2. .LATROBE is not a Generic String, as this is defined in Specification 11;
3. .LATROBE has developed and will implement a closed registration policy for .LATROBE that requires that all domain names in the .LATROBE TLD be registered ONLY by Registry Operator, its Affiliates, and its Trademark Licensees;
4. As required under the Registry Agreement, the .LATROBE TLD will clearly publish this registration policy;
5. .LATROBE TLD will conduct internal reviews at least once per calendar year to ensure continued compliance with Specification 13.
Compliance with Specification 13 prohibits the .LATROBE TLD from registering domain names to unaffiliated third parties and thus clearly designate to the public that .LATROBE TLD is a proprietary space in which all second-level domains in the TLD are being operated by La Trobe University - its Affiliates and Trademark Licensees and not the Government or the corresponding country code operator.
By this letter, La Trobe University confirms that all registrations of two letter domain names shall comply with the requirements of Specification 13.


2016-04-26

Latrobe UniversityYes
lefrakptView Comments
2016-02-01
2016-07-22View Mitigation

lefrak Mitigation

By LeFrak Organization, Inc.

Provide a brief explanation of the TLD: [Registry Operator] has applied for .[TLD] to run a closed .brand environment.
Protections
[REGISTRY OPERATOR] for the .[TLD] TLD has executed Specification 13 to the Registry Agreement. Specification 13 already contractually requires that the [Registry Operator] will apply measures which, by their very nature, avoid confusion with the corresponding country code, namely the following:
1. .[TLD] is identical to a qualifying registered trademark;
2. .[TLD] is not a Generic String, as this is defined in Specification 11;
3. .[TLD] TLD has developed and will implement a closed registration policy for .[TLD] that requires that all domain names in the .[TLD] TLD be registered ONLY by Registry Operator, its Affiliates, and its Trademark Licensees;
4. As required under the Registry Agreement, the .[TLD] TLD will clearly publish this registration policy;
5. .[TLD] TLD will conduct internal reviews at least once per calendar year to ensure continued compliance with Specification 13.
Compliance with Specification 13 prohibits the .[TLD] TLD from registering domain names to unaffiliated third parties and thus clearly designate to the public that .[TLD] TLD is a proprietary space in which all second-level domains in the TLD are being operated by [REGISTRY OPERATOR], its Affiliates and Trademark Licensees and not the [GOVERNMENT] or the corresponding country code operator.
By this [LETTER] [REGISTRY OPERATOR] confirms that all registrations of two letter domain names shall comply with the requirements of Specification 13.


2016-04-19

LeFrak Organization, Inc.Yes
lupinptView Comments
2016-02-01
2016-07-22Yes
mattelptView Comments
2016-02-01
2016-07-22View Mitigation

mattel Mitigation

By Mattel Sites, Inc.

.MATTEL gTLD Confusion Avoidance Plan

Mattel Sites, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mattel, Inc. and the Registry Operator for the .MATTEL gTLD, has executed Specification 13 to the Registry Agreement. Specification 13 already contractually requires that Mattel Sites, Inc. will apply measures which, by their very nature, avoid confusion with the corresponding country code, namely the following:

1. .MATTEL is identical to a qualifying registered trademark;
2. .MATTEL is not a Generic String, as the term is defined in Specification 11 of the Registry Agreement;
3. Mattel Sites, Inc. has developed and will implement a closed registration policy for .MATTEL that requires that all domain names in the .MATTEL gTLD be registered ONLY by Registry Operator, its Affiliates, and its Trademark Licensees;
4. As required under the Registry Agreement, Mattel Sites, Inc. submitted this policy as part of its application for Specification 13 and has clearly published this registration policy; and
5. .MATTEL will conduct internal reviews at least once per calendar year to ensure continued compliance with Specification 13, as required by the Registry Agreement.

Compliance with Specification 13 prohibits the .MATTEL gTLD from registering domain names to unaffiliated third parties and thus clearly designates to the public that the .MATTEL gTLD is a proprietary space in which all second-level domains in the gTLD are being operated by Mattel Sites, Inc., its Affiliates and Trademark Licensees and not any government or corresponding country-code TLD operator.

With this submission, Mattel Sites, Inc. confirms that all registrations of two-letter domain names shall comply with the requirements of Specification 13.


View Documents
2016-04-19

Mattel Sites, Inc.Yes
moscowptView Comments
2016-02-01
2016-07-22No
nationwideptView Comments
2016-02-01
2016-07-22Yes
onyoursideptView Comments
2016-02-01
2016-07-22Yes
rexrothptView Comments
2016-02-01
2016-07-22View Mitigation

rexroth Mitigation

By Robert Bosch GMBH

Provide a brief explanation of the TLD:
Robert Bosch GMBH has applied for .REXROTH to run a closed .brand environment.

Protections
Robert Bosch GMBH for the .REXROTH TLD has executed Specification 13 to the Registry Agreement. Specification 13 already contractually requires that the Robert Bosch GMBH will apply measures which, by their very nature, avoid confusion with the corresponding country code, namely the following:
1. .REXROTH is identical to a qualifying registered trademark;
2. .REXROTH is not a Generic String, as this is defined in Specification 11;
3. .REXROTH TLD has developed and will implement a closed registration policy for .REXROTH that requires that all domain names in the .REXROTH TLD be registered ONLY by Registry Operator, its Affiliates, and its Trademark Licensees;
4. As required under the Registry Agreement, the .REXROTH TLD will clearly publish this registration policy;
5. .REXROTH TLD will conduct internal reviews at least once per calendar year to ensure continued compliance with Specification 13.

Compliance with Specification 13 prohibits the .REXROTH TLD from registering domain names to unaffiliated third parties and thus clearly designate to the public that .REXROTH TLD is a proprietary space in which all second-level domains in the TLD are being operated by Robert Bosch GMBH, its Affiliates and Trademark Licensees and not the government or the corresponding country code operator.
By this letter Robert Bosch GMBH confirms that all registrations of two letter domain names shall comply with the requirements of Specification 13.


2016-04-25

Robert Bosch GMBHYes
safetyptView Comments
2016-02-01
2016-07-22View Mitigation

safety Mitigation

By Safety Registry Services, LLC

Safety Registry Services, LLC, the Registry Operator for the .SAFETY TLD, is operating .SAFETY as a restricted TLD where only credible and verified individuals or organizations are eligible to register and use domain names in .SAFETY. As such, .SAFETY will clearly only include registrants and domains related to the safety community.

To address the confusion concerns cited by government representatives regarding the use of second-level domains in the .SAFETY gTLD, Safety Registry Services, LLC will implement a restricted registration policy for .SAFETY that mitigates the potential confusion. To this end, Safety Registry Services, LLC commits to the following:

1. Developing and implementing a restricted registration policy for .SAFETY that adheres to the values of the safety community;
2. Clearly publishing this registration policy on Registry Operator’s homepage for .SAFETY;
3. Including this registration policy in Registry Operator’s Registry-Registrar Agreement with all contracted registrars for the .SAFETY TLD; and
4. Enforcing of this registration policy and ensuring continued compliance with the TLD’s credibility standards.

This registration and usage policy would prevent national governments and their representatives from registering domains in the .SAFETY TLD, because the only possible registrants allowed under the registration policy will be members of the .SAFETY community. Safety Registry Services, LLC will clearly designate to users that .SAFETY is a restricted space in which all second-level domains were registered by and for members of the safety community.


2016-04-25

Safety Registry Services, LLCNo
shangrilaptView Comments
2016-02-01
2016-07-22Yes
sucksptView Comments
2016-02-01
2016-07-22View Mitigation

sucks Mitigation

By Vox Populi Registry Ltd.

Proposed Measure to Avoid Confusion—Phased Allocation

dotSucks is designed to help consumers find their voices and allow companies to find the value in criticism. Each dotSucks domain has the potential to become an essential part of every organization’s customer relationship management program.

Phased Allocation - Upon the release of the letter/letter combination corresponding to the following objected to country codes (ai, bh, bm, ci, cn, eg, gb, il, in, io, it, kr, ky, me, ms, pt, ru, sg, sh, su, tc, tw, uk), Registry Operator will provide an exclusive thirty (30) day period in which registration of such letter/letter combination will be made only available to the applicable country code manager as listed at: http://www.iana.org/domains/root/db/

This type of phased allocation has been previously approved by ICANN as an acceptable and complete measure to avoid confusion with applicable country codes.

For example, .TRAVEL included the following in its RSEP on 18 May 2009:
“In seeking to minimize any confusion with county codes, Tralliance will initially place all two-letter country code names, as listed in the ISO 31-66 list, in the RFP allocation round and will seek expressions of interest from all country code managers for their respective two-character names. Tralliance will allocate two letter country codes to any corresponding country code managers (as listed at: http://www.iana.org/domains/root/db/) that desire to register their name, with no restriction other that payment of normal registration fees and a commitment to use the registered name.”

The Board approved the change via a resolution on 5 August 2010: https://www.icann.org/resources/board- material/resolutions-2010-08-05-en.

At that time, the amendment to the .TRAVEL Registry Agreement permitted release of 2 characters through a Phased Allocation Program https://www.icann.org/resources/unthemed-pages/travel-appendix-7-2010-08-23-en).

.TRAVEL has subsequently entered into a new gTLD Registry Agreement with ICANN and carried over the previous Board- approved release of two-characters through its phased allocation program. Current .TRAVEL Specification 5 language:
“All single-character and two-character labels that were previously reserved by the Registry Operator prior to the Effective Date of this Registry Agreement may be allocated through ICANN-accredited registrars according to a phased allocation program (“Phased Allocation Program”). The domain names included within the scope of the Phased Allocation Program shall be limited to a single and two-character labels. Registry Operator reserves the right to not allocate all single and two-character labels. Pursuant to the Phased Allocation Program, Registry Operator may elect to allocate labels by applying one or more of the following processes: 1) request for proposals and allocation based on evaluation criteria; 2) auction; or 3) first come, first serve registration.”

Similar Phased Allocation Programs have been approved by ICANN as an implementation of measures to avoid confusion with corresponding country codes in .BIZ, .INFO, .ORG, and .JOBS.


2016-04-22

Vox Populi Registry Ltd.No
wolterskluwerptView Comments
2016-02-01
2016-07-22View Mitigation

wolterskluwer Mitigation

By Wolters Kluwer N.V.

Proposed Measure to Avoid Confusion—Brand TLD (Specification 13)

Provide a brief explanation of the TLD:

.WOLTERSKLUWER TLD is a closed Brand new gTLD operated by Wolters Kluwer N.V.

Protections:

Wolters Kluwer N.V. for the .WOLTERSKLUWER TLD has executed Specification 13 to the Registry Agreement. Specification 13 already contractually requires that Wolters Kluwer N.V. will apply measures which, by their very nature, avoid confusion with the corresponding country code, namely the following:

1. .WOLTERSKLUWER is identical to a qualifying registered trademark;
2. .WOLTERSKLUWER is not a Generic String, as this is defined in Specification 11;
3. .WOLTERSKLUWER TLD has developed and will implement a closed registration policy for .WOLTERSKLUWER that requires that all domain names in the .WOLTERSKLUWER TLD be registered ONLY by Registry Operator, its Affiliates, and its Trademark Licensees;
4. As required under the Registry Agreement, the .WOLTERSKLUWER TLD will clearly publish this registration policy;
5. .WOLTERSKLUWER TLD will conduct internal reviews at least once per calendar year to ensure continued compliance with Specification 13.

Compliance with Specification 13 prohibits the .WOLTERSKLUWER TLD from registering domain names to unaffiliated third parties and thus clearly designate to the public that .WOLTERSKLUWER TLD is a proprietary space in which all second-level domains in the TLD are being operated by Wolters Kluwer N.V., its Affiliates and Trademark Licensees and not the government or the corresponding country code operator. By this Wolters Kluwer N.V. confirms that all registrations of two letter domain names shall comply with the requirements of Specification 13.


2016-04-05

Wolters Kluwer N.V.Yes
xn--5su34j936bgsgptView Comments
2016-02-01
2016-07-22Yes
xn--80adxhksptView Comments
2016-02-01
2016-07-22No
bmsptView Comments
2016-02-05
2016-07-22View Mitigation

bms Mitigation

By Bristol Myers Squibb

Proposed Measure to Avoid Confusion—Brand TLD (Specification 13)
Provide a brief explanation of the TLD: BRISTOL-MYERS SQUIBB COMPANY has applied for .BMS to run a closed .brand environment.
Protections
BRISTOL-MYERS SQUIBB COMPANY, for the .BMS TLD, has executed Specification 13 to the Registry Agreement. Specification 13 already contractually requires that BRISTOL-MYERS SQUIBB COMPANY will apply measures which, by their very nature, avoid confusion with the corresponding country code, namely the following:
1. .BMS is identical to a qualifying registered trademark;
2. .BMS is not a Generic String, as this is defined in Specification 11;
3. .BMS has developed and will implement a closed registration policy for .BMS that requires that all domain names in the .BMS TLD be registered ONLY by Registry Operator, its Affiliates, and its Trademark Licensees;
4. As required under the Registry Agreement, the .BMS TLD will clearly publish this registration policy;
5. .BMS TLD will conduct internal reviews at least once per calendar year to ensure continued compliance with Specification 13.
Compliance with Specification 13 prohibits the .BMS TLD from registering domain names to unaffiliated third parties and thus clearly designate to the public that .BMS TLD is a proprietary space in which all second-level domains in the TLD are being operated by BRISTOL-MYERS SQUIBB COMPANY. - its Affiliates and Trademark Licensees and not the Government or the corresponding country code operator.
By this letter, BRISTOL-MYERS SQUIBB COMPANY confirms that all registrations of two letter domain names shall comply with the requirements of Specification 13.


2016-04-20

Bristol Myers SquibbYes
freeptView Comments
2016-02-05
2016-07-22No
insuranceptView Comments
2016-02-05
2016-07-22View Mitigation

insurance Mitigation

By fTLD Registry Services, LLC

Please see the attached file that details fTLD Registry Services' implementation plan for .BANK and .INSURANCE to avoid confusion with corresponding country codes.


View Documents
2016-04-20

fTLD Registry Services, LLCNo
juniperptView Comments
2016-02-05
2016-07-22Yes
latrobeptView Comments
2016-02-05
2016-07-22View Mitigation

latrobe Mitigation

By Latrobe University

Proposed Measure to Avoid Confusion—Brand TLD (Specification 13)
Provide a brief explanation of the TLD: La Trobe University has applied for .LATROBE to run a closed .brand environment.
Protections
La Trobe University for the .LATROBE TLD has executed Specification 13 to the Registry Agreement. Specification 13 already contractually requires that La Trobe University will apply measures which, by their very nature, avoid confusion with the corresponding country code, namely the following:
1. .LATROBE is identical to a qualifying registered trademark;
2. .LATROBE is not a Generic String, as this is defined in Specification 11;
3. .LATROBE has developed and will implement a closed registration policy for .LATROBE that requires that all domain names in the .LATROBE TLD be registered ONLY by Registry Operator, its Affiliates, and its Trademark Licensees;
4. As required under the Registry Agreement, the .LATROBE TLD will clearly publish this registration policy;
5. .LATROBE TLD will conduct internal reviews at least once per calendar year to ensure continued compliance with Specification 13.
Compliance with Specification 13 prohibits the .LATROBE TLD from registering domain names to unaffiliated third parties and thus clearly designate to the public that .LATROBE TLD is a proprietary space in which all second-level domains in the TLD are being operated by La Trobe University - its Affiliates and Trademark Licensees and not the Government or the corresponding country code operator.
By this letter, La Trobe University confirms that all registrations of two letter domain names shall comply with the requirements of Specification 13.


2016-04-26

Latrobe UniversityYes
lefrakptView Comments
2016-02-05
2016-07-22View Mitigation

lefrak Mitigation

By LeFrak Organization, Inc.

Provide a brief explanation of the TLD: [Registry Operator] has applied for .[TLD] to run a closed .brand environment.
Protections
[REGISTRY OPERATOR] for the .[TLD] TLD has executed Specification 13 to the Registry Agreement. Specification 13 already contractually requires that the [Registry Operator] will apply measures which, by their very nature, avoid confusion with the corresponding country code, namely the following:
1. .[TLD] is identical to a qualifying registered trademark;
2. .[TLD] is not a Generic String, as this is defined in Specification 11;
3. .[TLD] TLD has developed and will implement a closed registration policy for .[TLD] that requires that all domain names in the .[TLD] TLD be registered ONLY by Registry Operator, its Affiliates, and its Trademark Licensees;
4. As required under the Registry Agreement, the .[TLD] TLD will clearly publish this registration policy;
5. .[TLD] TLD will conduct internal reviews at least once per calendar year to ensure continued compliance with Specification 13.
Compliance with Specification 13 prohibits the .[TLD] TLD from registering domain names to unaffiliated third parties and thus clearly designate to the public that .[TLD] TLD is a proprietary space in which all second-level domains in the TLD are being operated by [REGISTRY OPERATOR], its Affiliates and Trademark Licensees and not the [GOVERNMENT] or the corresponding country code operator.
By this [LETTER] [REGISTRY OPERATOR] confirms that all registrations of two letter domain names shall comply with the requirements of Specification 13.


2016-04-19

LeFrak Organization, Inc.Yes
lupinptView Comments
2016-02-05
2016-07-22Yes
mattelptView Comments
2016-02-05
2016-07-22View Mitigation

mattel Mitigation

By Mattel Sites, Inc.

.MATTEL gTLD Confusion Avoidance Plan

Mattel Sites, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mattel, Inc. and the Registry Operator for the .MATTEL gTLD, has executed Specification 13 to the Registry Agreement. Specification 13 already contractually requires that Mattel Sites, Inc. will apply measures which, by their very nature, avoid confusion with the corresponding country code, namely the following:

1. .MATTEL is identical to a qualifying registered trademark;
2. .MATTEL is not a Generic String, as the term is defined in Specification 11 of the Registry Agreement;
3. Mattel Sites, Inc. has developed and will implement a closed registration policy for .MATTEL that requires that all domain names in the .MATTEL gTLD be registered ONLY by Registry Operator, its Affiliates, and its Trademark Licensees;
4. As required under the Registry Agreement, Mattel Sites, Inc. submitted this policy as part of its application for Specification 13 and has clearly published this registration policy; and
5. .MATTEL will conduct internal reviews at least once per calendar year to ensure continued compliance with Specification 13, as required by the Registry Agreement.

Compliance with Specification 13 prohibits the .MATTEL gTLD from registering domain names to unaffiliated third parties and thus clearly designates to the public that the .MATTEL gTLD is a proprietary space in which all second-level domains in the gTLD are being operated by Mattel Sites, Inc., its Affiliates and Trademark Licensees and not any government or corresponding country-code TLD operator.

With this submission, Mattel Sites, Inc. confirms that all registrations of two-letter domain names shall comply with the requirements of Specification 13.


View Documents
2016-04-19

Mattel Sites, Inc.Yes
nationwideptView Comments
2016-02-05
2016-07-22Yes
onyoursideptView Comments
2016-02-05
2016-07-22Yes

sg Comments

By Queh Ser Pheng, Deputy Director, Internet Resource Management, Policy & Competition Development Group, Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore

We hereby respectfully submit our comment regarding the release of letter/letter two-character labels as second level domains.

At this stage, we are unable to agree to the release of the two-character "sg" label at the second-level under gTLDs because of the concern that such use would create public confusion with the ccTLD "sg" representing Singapore. Until further notice, this policy is to be applied to all gTLDs who have requested or will be requesting for the release of letter-letter two-character labels at the second level.

To elaborate further, we are open to considering the release of "sg" to registry operators who have robust framework in place to address concerns of government. We recognise there are legitimate and valid reasons for such use. However, we are of the view that it is prudent for ICANN to first put in place a holistic and robust framework before approvals can be given. More thoughts need to be given to the evaluation process and in particular the remedies available should a registry operator use the approved names in an undesirable manner. Besides possible public confusion with the corresponding country code and/or country/territory name, we are also concerned with:

(a) The possible reputational harm if ".sg." is associated with illegal or objectionable content and/or manner-of-use; and

(b) The direct harm if ".sg." content or manner-of-use targets Singapore as a nation or Singapore entities (e.g., websites could masquerade as Singapore Government agencies).

ICANN's current policy focuses only on the "initial release" process. There needs to be considerations given to "post-release" issues. As such, the ICANN framework should include:

(a) A recourse for the government/country code manager to issue a notice to object to the content and/or manner-of-use that is misleading, questionable, objectionable or contrary to the country’s reputation and laws. There should be an effective and robust process acceptable by the government/country code manager for the registry operator to address the concern; and

(b) Provisions to require the registry operator to re-seek approval from government/country code manager should there be material changes in ownership or organisational control (for example merger with or acquisitions by another entity).

In addition, ICANN must be committed to take actions against the registry operator should they fail to comply with the framework (e.g. implement a process for country/territory to raise objections to ICANN and for ICANN to take appropriate remedial actions such as remove/delete/revoke affected names).

sn Comments

By Alex Corenthin, Administrateur, NIC senegal, .sn registry

Senegal is not favouring the release of Two-Character ASCII labels ""sn"" deceptively similar as the ccTLD "".sn"" at the second level. ICANN is requested to notice than SEnegal's objection on release of Two-character ASCII labels ""sn"" at the second level should apply to all current and future requests from new gTLD's" to avoid any confusion with the geographic domain name .SN.

eu Comments

By Giovanni Seppia, External Relations manager, External Relations

We object to the release of the eu code under the .insurance and .sucks TLDs because such release will either contribute to consumer confusion because the "insurance" market is regulated at EU level or - second case - have a negative impact on the .eu profile, consumers and, more broadly, on the EU reputation.

eu Comments

By Giovanni Seppia, External Relations manager, External Relations

We object to the release of the eu code under the .shopping TLDs because such release will either contribute to consumer confusion because the "retail and online retail" markets are regulated at EU level. Therefore, the release of the .eu may push consumers to believe that items or information under .eu.shopping are EU regulated and therefore, have certain levels of consumer safeguards, while they may be not.

eu Comments

By Giovanni Seppia, External Relations Manager, EURid

We would like to object to the release of "eu" under these two gTLDs as they refer to two areas well-regulated at EU level and therefore, they can cause confusion at consumer level.

es Comments

By GEMA CAMPILLOS GONZALEZ, Deputy Director on Information Society Services, Ministry of Industry, Energy and Tourism

Confusability with the country code for Spain exists since the ES code is widely recognized both on and off the Internet as an identifier for Spain. Our Government only deems necessary to interfere in the allocation of second level domains with the "es" label where other concerns arising from the association of the string with our country come out.

In this regard, we are concerned that consumers asume that persons or undertakings operating under "es.insurance" not only offer their services in Spain or products or services related to Spain but that they comply with applicable regulations. As this may not be warranted by registration policies and contracts, we would request Spanish Government is consulted before these names are registered.

We are open to consider other mitigation plans that effectively address concerns expressed successively by our Government.

es Comments

By GEMA CAMPILLOS GONZALEZ, Deputy Director on Information Society Services, Ministry of Industry, Energy and Tourism

Confusability with the country code for Spain exists since the ES code is widely recognized both on and off the Internet as an identifier for Spain. Our Government only deems necessary to interfere in the allocation of second level domains with the "es" label where other concerns arising from the association of the string with our country come into play.

In this regard, we are concerned that consumers asume that persons or undertakings operating under "es.doctor" not only offer their services in Spain or products or services related to Spain but that they comply with regulations applicable to medical practitioners in Spain or have a PHD degree (these being the two main meanings the word "doctor" has in Spanish, see http://dle.rae.es/?id=E3TMkYQ). As this may not be warranted by registration policies and contracts, we would request Spanish Government is consulted before these names are registered.

We are open to consider other mitigation plans that effectively address concerns expressed by our Government.

pt Comments

By Ana Cristina Ferreira Amoroso das Neves, Director, Department Information Society, Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education

I request previous comments to objections to the release of the ".pt" as the SLD signalling 1) consumer protection concerns and confusion; 2) some gTLD correspond to a regulated market in EU countries, so their release might generate possible abuses and confusion at the end-users level and therefore must be subject to authorization by the Portuguese Government; 3) others should remain reserved so that can only be assigned to a person, entity or corporation proposed or accepted by the Portuguese Government, which demands consultations with the Portuguese Government. These comments are due to the ICANN's new process launched on the 6th October 2015 on the use of the 2-letter CC and CN at the SLD, taken into account nonetheless GAC's advice from Dublin Communiqué (October 2015). Confusability exists in all instances since the PT code is widely recognized both on and off the Internet as an identifier for Portugal. In this regard, we are concerned that consumers assume that persons or undertakings operating under "pt.string" not only offer their services in Portugal or products or services related to Portugal but that they comply with applicable regulations. As this may not be warranted by registration policies and contracts, we would request Portuguese Government is consulted before any registration, regardless of the grounds for objection. Portugal reserves the right to change position in this regard in the future. The Portuguese Government will continue to closely follow the evolution of the market and of the technical and political framework to collect data and evidence to better understand the consequences of such release.

pt Comments

By Ana Cristina Ferreira Amoroso das Neves, Director, Department Information Society, Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education

I request previous comments to objections to the release of the ".pt" as the SLD signaling 1) consumer protection concerns and confusion; 2) some gTLD correspond to a regulated market in EU countries, so their release might generate possible abuses and confusion at the end-users level and therefore must be subject to authorization by the Portuguese Government; 3) others should remain reserved so that can only be assigned to a person, entity or corporation proposed or accepted by the Portuguese Government, which demands consultations with the Portuguese Government. These comments are due to the ICANN's new process launched on the 6th October 2015 on the use of the 2-letter CC and CN at the SLD, taken into account nonetheless GAC's advice from Dublin Communiqué (October 2015). Confusability exists in all instances since the PT code is widely recognized both on and off the Internet as an identifier for Portugal. In this regard, we are concerned that consumers assume that persons or undertakings operating under "pt.string" not only offer their services in Portugal or products or services related to Portugal but that they comply with applicable regulations. As this may not be warranted by registration policies and contracts, we would request Portuguese Government is consulted before any registration, regardless of the grounds for objection. Portugal reserves the right to change position in this regard in the future. The Portuguese Government will continue to closely follow the evolution of the market and of the technical and political framework to collect data and evidence to better understand the consequences of such release.

Domain Name System
Internationalized Domain Name ,IDN,"IDNs are domain names that include characters used in the local representation of languages that are not written with the twenty-six letters of the basic Latin alphabet ""a-z"". An IDN can contain Latin letters with diacritical marks, as required by many European languages, or may consist of characters from non-Latin scripts such as Arabic or Chinese. Many languages also use other types of digits than the European ""0-9"". The basic Latin alphabet together with the European-Arabic digits are, for the purpose of domain names, termed ""ASCII characters"" (ASCII = American Standard Code for Information Interchange). These are also included in the broader range of ""Unicode characters"" that provides the basis for IDNs. The ""hostname rule"" requires that all domain names of the type under consideration here are stored in the DNS using only the ASCII characters listed above, with the one further addition of the hyphen ""-"". The Unicode form of an IDN therefore requires special encoding before it is entered into the DNS. The following terminology is used when distinguishing between these forms: A domain name consists of a series of ""labels"" (separated by ""dots""). The ASCII form of an IDN label is termed an ""A-label"". All operations defined in the DNS protocol use A-labels exclusively. The Unicode form, which a user expects to be displayed, is termed a ""U-label"". The difference may be illustrated with the Hindi word for ""test"" — परीका — appearing here as a U-label would (in the Devanagari script). A special form of ""ASCII compatible encoding"" (abbreviated ACE) is applied to this to produce the corresponding A-label: xn--11b5bs1di. A domain name that only includes ASCII letters, digits, and hyphens is termed an ""LDH label"". Although the definitions of A-labels and LDH-labels overlap, a name consisting exclusively of LDH labels, such as""icann.org"" is not an IDN."