.rogers New gTLD Application
Click to view Chinese translation articles.
-----------------------------------
New gTLD Application Submitted to ICANN by: Rogers Communications Partnership
String: rogers
Originally Posted: 13 June 2012
Application ID: 1-1036-55073
Applicant Information
- Full legal name
Rogers Communications Partnership
- Address of the principal place of business
333 Bloor Street E
Toronto ON M4W1G9
CA
- Phone number
+1 416 935 7777
- Fax number
+1 416 935 7627
- If applicable, website or URL
http:⁄⁄www.rogers.com
Primary Contact
6(a). Name
Ms. Debra Charlery
6(b). Title
IP Law Clerk ⁄ Domain Administrator
6(c). Address
6(d). Phone Number
+ 1 416 935 7938
6(e). Fax Number
+1 416 935 7627
6(f). Email Address
Secondary Contact
7(a). Name
Ms. Catherine Lynn Douglas
7(b). Title
Manager
7(c). Address
7(d). Phone Number
+1 416 722 7555
7(e). Fax Number
7(f). Email Address
Proof of Legal Establishment
8(a). Legal form of the Applicant
Partnership
8(b). State the specific national or other jursidiction that defines the type of entity identified in 8(a).
Partnerships Act (Ontario)
8(c). Attach evidence of the applicant's establishment.
Attachments are not displayed on this form.
9(a). If applying company is publicly traded, provide the exchange and symbol.
9(b). If the applying entity is a subsidiary, provide the parent company.
9(c). If the applying entity is a joint venture, list all joint venture partners.
Applicant Background
11(a). Name(s) and position(s) of all directors
David P. Miller Senior Vice-President, General Counsel and Secretary
Nadir H. Mohamed President and Chief Executive Officer
William W. Linton Senior Vice-President, Finance and Chief Financial Officer
11(b). Name(s) and position(s) of all officers and partners
David Miller Senior Vice-President, General Counsel and Secretary
Edward Rogers Deputy Chairman and Executive Vice-President, Emerging Business and Corporate Development
Melinda Rogers Senior Vice-President Strategy and Development
Nadir H. Mohamed President and Chief Executive Officer
Phil Lind Executive Vice-President, Regulatory and Vice-Chairman
11(c). Name(s) and position(s) of all shareholders holding at least 15% of shares
11(d). For an applying entity that does not have directors, officers, partners, or shareholders: Name(s) and position(s) of all individuals having legal or executive responsibility
Applied-for gTLD string
- Provide the applied-for gTLD string. If an IDN, provide the U-label.
rogers
14(a). If an IDN, provide the A-label (beginning with "xn--").
14(b). If an IDN, provide the meaning or restatement of the string in English, that is, a description of the literal meaning of the string in the opinion of the applicant.
14(c). If an IDN, provide the language of the label (in English).
14(c). If an IDN, provide the language of the label (as referenced by ISO-639-1).
14(d). If an IDN, provide the script of the label (in English).
14(d). If an IDN, provide the script of the label (as referenced by ISO 15924).
14(e). If an IDN, list all code points contained in the U-label according to Unicode form.
15(a). If an IDN, Attach IDN Tables for the proposed registry.
Attachments are not displayed on this form.
15(b). Describe the process used for development of the IDN tables submitted, including consultations and sources used.
15(c). List any variant strings to the applied-for gTLD string according to the relevant IDN tables.
- Describe the applicant's efforts to ensure that there are no known operational or rendering problems concerning the applied-for gTLD string. If such issues are known, describe steps that will be taken to mitigate these issues in software and other applications.
Applicant anticipates the introduction of this TLD without operational or rendering problems. Based on a decade of experience launching and operating new TLDs, Afilias, the back-end provider of registry services for this TLD, is confident the launch and operation of this TLD presents no known challenges. The rationale for this opinion includes:
- The string is not complex and is represented in standard ASCII characters and follows relevant technical, operational and policy standards;
- The string length is within lengths currently supported in the root and by ubiquitous Internet programs such as web browsers and mail applications;
- There are no new standards required for the introduction of this TLD;
- No onerous requirements are being made on registrars, registrants or Internet users, and;
- The existing secure, stable and reliable Afilias SRS, DNS, WHOIS and supporting systems and staff are amply provisioned and prepared to meet the needs of this TLD
- (OPTIONAL) Provide a representation of the label according to the International Phonetic Alphabet (http://www.langsci.ucl.ac.uk/ipa/).
Mission/Purpose
18(a). Describe the mission/purpose of your proposed gTLD.
18a
Describe the mission⁄purpose of your proposed gTLD
Applicant is a division of Rogers Communications Inc. Rogers Communications is a diversified Canadian communications and media company. Rogers Communications engages in wireless voice and data communications services, cable television, high speed internet and telephony services. Through Rogers Media Inc., Rogers engages in radio and television broadcasting, televised shopping, magazine publishing and trade publications, plus sports entertainment. Rogers Communications is publicly traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: RCI.A and RCI.B) and on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: RCI).
Rogers Communications is Canada’s largest wireless carrier with 9.3M subscribers resulting in over $7 billion in revenue in 2011. Rogers Communications is the only national carrier on both GSM and HSPA+ platforms, and provides a 21Mbps HSPA+ network across Canada, deploying LTE in top markets. Wireless services are extensively distributed by the Rogers, Fido and chatr brands.
Rogers Communications is the leading Canadian cable provider with 2.3 million basic cable subscribers and 5.1 million cable service units. Rogers Communications is also one of Canada’s best media brands with 55 radio stations and 54 magazine and trade publications, owner of the Toronto Blue Jays baseball club and Rogers Centre event venue, Citytv and OMNI multi-station television networks, Sportsnet regional and national television networks, and the nationally televised The Shopping Channel televised retailer.
The proposed .rogers gTLD is a restricted, exclusively-controlled TLD that would serve the purpose of enhancing and expanding Rogers Communications’ ability to:
- Facilitate the achievement of Rogers Communications to design, build and sell the world’s best communication and media services;
- create a connected digital presence and personalized brand experience for customers, prospects, employees, joint ventures, business partners and communities where we do business;
- deliver product and service marketing⁄advertising;
- enable marketing⁄technology campaign activation;
- facilitate secure interaction and communication with individuals and entities with whom Rogers Communications has a business relationship;
- improve business operations;
- simplify internet user navigation to information about Rogers Communications products and services;
- demonstrate market leadership in protecting customer⁄member privacy and confidential information online; and
- meet future customer expectations and competitive market demands by continuing to develop & deploy leading edge services
18(b). How do you expect that your proposed gTLD will benefit registrants, Internet users, and others?
18b
How do you expect that your proposed gTLD will benefit registrants, Internet users, and others?
Answers should address the following points:
- What is the goal of your proposed gTLD in terms of areas of specialty, service levels, or reputation?
- The goal of the proposed .rogers gTLD in terms of specialty, service levels and reputation are:
o Specialty – Rogers Communications is a global communications provider of wireless voice and data communications services, cable television, high speed internet and telephony services, radio and television broadcasting, televised shopping, magazines and trade publications, and sports entertainment.
o Service levels –One of the key goals of the proposed .rogers gTLD is to create a restricted, exclusively- controlled online environment for customers and other business partners which will increase customer confidence and trust in conducting business online. Through greater use of online tools by customer⁄members, Rogers Communications expects to further streamline business processes, reduce turn-around times, improve speed to market, provide more personalized service and improve overall customer service delivery and satisfaction.
o Reputation – Rogers Communications has a reputation of stellar customer service, innovation and market leadership. With the online channel growing in importance, one of the goals of the proposed .rogers gTLD is to position Rogers Communications to meet future customer expectations and competitive market demands to ensure it can continue to grow its reputation in the communications industry and in the global marketplace.
- What do you anticipate your proposed gTLD will add to the current space, in terms of competition, differentiation, or innovation?
- Rogers Communications plans to operate the proposed .rogers gTLD as a restricted, exclusively-controlled TLD and as such will not be commercially offered for registration by the general public. Thus, Rogers Communications will have exclusive ownership and control over all second-level registrations within the TLD and their use. As a result, we believe the proposed .rogers gTLD will add to the current names space in three (3) areas:
o Competition – As technology advances, so do customer expectations of companies online. They expect that companies will utilize the latest and greatest technology and online practices to improve the user experience to protect their information and deliver quality service. Rogers Communications anticipates that the proposed .rogers gTLD will enable it to communicate, interact and protect data in ways and under conditions not possible under the existing namespace, thus enabling Rogers Communications to meet future customer expectations and competitive market demands.
o Differentiation – While today companies like Rogers Communications can register brand strings at the second-level (eg., rogers.com), the proliferation of cybersquatting and typo squatting has placed a great burden on consumers to carefully tread online because there is no guarantee on the face of the domain name string that what looks like a branded website is indeed an authorized website of the brand owner. The proposed .rogers gTLD will enable customers and other business partners and internet users to distinguish on the face of the domain name alone whether the site is an authorized company site because the gTLD will be a restricted, exclusively- controlled online environment where only authorized company web properties and e-mail will exist and operate online.
Innovation - The proposed .rogers gTLD as a restricted, exclusively-controlled TLD will provide Rogers Communications with a new platform which allows us to create a lead in everything we do and create a competitive advantage to engage and excite our customers’ in future innovation.
- What goals does your proposed gTLD have in terms of user experience?
- The internet has been plagued by cybersquatting, typo squatting, phishing, pharming and identity theft scams. This malicious online conduct has shaken the trust and confidence of consumers to share information and transact business online. Thus, the proposed .rogers gTLD has the following user experience goals:
o Simplify purchase and unify the full breadth of products and services offered by Rogers Communications;
o Improve and streamline the manner in which customers and other business partners can interact with Rogers Communications in the online digital space;
o Foster trust and confidence in online interactions by customers and other business partners with Rogers Communications;
o Reduce the risk of internet users being misled, believing and⁄or acting on erroneous, information about Rogers Communications, its business partners and⁄or its products and services presented online by unauthorized 3rd parties; and
o Simplify online navigation to Rogers Communications products, services and affiliate information.
- Provide a complete description of the applicant’s intended registration policies in support of the goals listed above.
The proposed gTLD will be a restricted, exclusively-controlled gTLD where only Applicant, affiliated entities and authorized business partners will be permitted to register second-level domains for Applicant business purposes only for a term of one to ten years. Affiliated entities who are part of the same corporate organization as the Applicant who seek registrations for second-level names under the TLD will be required to present evidence in writing to accredited registrar(s) for the TLD demonstrating explicit authorization from an officer of the Applicant company to register second-level names within the TLD to protect against unauthorized registration within the TLD by unaffiliated third parties. Applicants and affiliated entities owned and⁄or controlled by the same corporate parent company will supply corporate contact and ownership information, not personal information, for each registration obtained under the TLD for display in the TLD WHOIS.
To the extent second-level domain names are ever registered to Applicant’s business partners and⁄or affiliates that are not owned by Applicant or its corporate parent company, registrants will be required to execute a registration agreement that incorporates all required ICANN consensus policies and other legal⁄policy requirements imposed on new gTLD applicants into the terms and conditions of the domain name registration agreement. Such registration may also be subject to additional terms and conditions under separate business partner and⁄or affiliate agreements with Applicant entity. Registrations by business partners or affiliates not owned by Applicant or its corporate parent company will require written, pre-approval by designated individual(s) at Applicant company, must provide corporate contact information, not personal information, for WHOIS purposes and must be made with Applicant’s registrar of choice. Registrants must not use the domain name in any way that may damage or diminish Applicants brand reputation, business relationships or other business interests. Failure to do any of the above, will result in the immediate suspension of registrant’s registration agreement and⁄or all deletion of all domain names currently registered in the TLD.
- Will your proposed gTLD impose any measures for protecting the privacy or confidential information of registrants or users? If so, please describe any such measures.
The proposed .rogers gTLD will be a restricted, exclusively-controlled TLD where Rogers Communications will have exclusive control. Corporate contact information will be clearly listed in the WHOIS record for each registration within the TLD. Thus, there are no measures that need to be proposed to protect the privacy or confidential registration information of registrants⁄users of the TLD. However, Rogers Communications is investing in the proposed .rogers gTLD to further demonstrate its commitment and market leadership with regard to privacy of consumer data (as evidenced by its current data privacy policy, http:⁄⁄your.rogers.com⁄privacy1.asp, as copied below), as Rogers Communications believes the utilization of the proposed new gTLD could position the company to more fully meet online challenges that may threaten the security of customer⁄member data in the future.
The Rogers Group of Companies (Rogers) Commitment to Privacy
- This policy applies to Rogers Communications, Rogers Cable, Rogers Wireless and Rogers Media which are referred to here collectively as Rogers. At Rogers, the security and integrity of our customersʹ personal information is important to us. We take every reasonable measure necessary to protect the privacy of our customers while providing the high level communication services they expect.
- Rogersʹ privacy practices are in accordance with all federal and provincial laws and regulations. We are compliant with the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) and where applicable with the privacy rules established by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC).
- Rogers has in place privacy and security practices to safeguard our customersʹ personal information. These practices are reviewed, and if necessary revised, on a regular basis. Additionally, Rogersʹ employees receive privacy training and must comply with Rogersʹ privacy practices as a condition of employment.
- Personal information collected by Rogers is information about an identifiable individual that may include such information as your name, e-mail address, mailing address, phone number, financial information, birth date and any recorded complaints.
- At Rogers, we collect customer information for one or more of the following purposes:
To provide a positive customer experience, and deliver, bill for, and collect payment for products and services;
To understand customer requirements and make information available regarding products and services offered by Rogers and its agents, dealers and related companies;
To manage and develop Rogers business and operations;
To meet legal and regulatory requirements; and
To obtain credit information or provide it to others.
- Rogers does not use or disclose personal information for purposes other than those for which it was collected, except with the consent of the individual or as required by law. Rogers retains personal information only as long as necessary for the fulfillment of those purposes.
- Rogers informs customers of the existence, use and disclosure of their personal information upon request and gives them access to their information.
- Rogers ensures that customer information is accurate, complete and up-to-date. Customers can challenge the accuracy and completeness of the information and request amendments as appropriate.
- Rogers companies share information with other Rogers companies or their agents and authorized dealers, in order to offer customers products and services that they may find attractive. Notices on sharing information are contained in each companyʹs application forms, invoices and web sites. If customers do not want to be marketed with these products and services, they can contact Rogers (see How To Contact Rogers below).
- Additional information on your privacy is located in the Frequently Asked Questions section of www.rogers.com under the Category of Privacy.
- A senior company officer has been appointed as the Privacy Officer at Rogers. The Privacy Officer is accountable for all personal information at Rogers. You may contact the Privacy Officer at:
By Mail: Chief Privacy Officer
Rogers Group of Companies
333 Bloor Street East
Toronto, Ontario
M4W 1G9
- Customers that wish to:
obtain more information about Rogers Commitment to Privacy;
access, or obtain more information about, their personal information held by Rogers; or
make a privacy-related complaint;
may contact a Rogers customer service representative who, if necessary, will refer the customer to the Rogers Privacy Officer.
- The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada oversees Rogersʹ personal information handling practices. If your privacy concerns are not addressed to your satisfaction by Rogers you may contact the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada for further guidance:
By Phone: 1-800-282-1376 or 613-995-8210
By Fax: 613-947-6850
By E-mail:
Website: www.privcom.gc.ca
How to Contact Rogers
Customers of Rogers Cable and Rogers Wireless
Customers can have their account marked “Do Not Contact” or choose their communication preferences by visiting Rogers Online Self Service. Simply sign in to your Rogers account and select “Manage My Marketing Permissions” to complete the “Marketing Permissions Opt-Out” form. Alternatively, you can contact a Rogers’ customer service representative at 1-888-ROGERS1.
Subscribers to Rogers Media consumer magazines
Notices about ʺSubscriber Servicesʺ that appear in each consumer magazine explain how to change your ʺMail Preferenceʺ for receiving mailings from other organizations. To have your mailing address excluded from mailings by other organizations, provide your subscriber information in one of the following ways:
By E-mail:
By Mail: Privacy Request
Magazine Subscriber Services
Box 860
Markham, Ontario L3P 8H8
By Telephone: (905) 946-0084
By Fax: (905) 946-1679
Registered users of Rogers Media web sites and e-mail newsletters can update ʺMarketing Permissionsʺ by establishing a user profile. From the web site, click on ʺRegisterʺ to establish a profile or on ʺLoginʺ to update permissions.
Describe whether and in what ways outreach and communications will help to achieve your projected benefits.
Prior to using the proposed .rogers gTLD for product and service marketing⁄advertising, marketing campaign activation, interaction and communication with individuals and entities with whom Rogers Communications has a business relationship, and⁄or implementing new online navigation strategies, Rogers Communications at this point anticipates conducting a multi-faceted outreach and communications campaign that may include communication channels such as TV, radio, mobile, print, social media, direct mail, online advertising and marketing via our active, customer and affiliate-facing websites and other public relations activities to:
- Further communicate Rogers Communications commitment to online consumer safety and data privacy;
- Inform the market of Rogers Communications ownership and planned use of the proposed .rogers gTLD;
- Clearly define the expected benefits to customers, prospective customer⁄members, contractors, other business partners and internet users at large.
Future outreach and communications campaigns will be carried out as needed to reaffirm and clarify the above. Rogers Communications believes outreach and communication will be critical to building trust and confidence in the legitimacy of the TLD.
18(c). What operating rules will you adopt to eliminate or minimize social costs?
18c
What operating rules will you adopt to eliminate or minimize social costs (e.g., time or financial resource costs, as well as various types of consumer vulnerabilities)? What other steps will you take to minimize negative consequences⁄costs imposed upon consumers?
Answers should address the following points:
- How will multiple applications for a particular domain name be resolved, for example, by auction or on a first-come⁄first serve basis?
- There will not be multiple applications for a particular domain in the proposed .rogers TLD because this will be an exclusively-controlled TLD where only 1 party, Rogers Communications, will be able to seek registrations.
- Explain any cost benefits for registrants you intend to implement (e.g., advantageous pricing, introductory discounts, bulk registration discounts).
- This question is not applicable to a exclusively-controlled TLD, like the proposed .rogers TLD.
- Note that the Registry Agreement requires that registrars be offered the option to obtain initial domain name registrations for periods of one to ten years at the discretion of the registrar, but no greater than ten years. Additionally, the Registry Agreement requires advance written notice of price increases. Do you intend to make contractual commitments to registrants regarding the magnitude of price escalation? If so, please describe your plans.
- The proposed .rogers TLD will be a self-funded, exclusively-controlled TLD available only to Rogers Communications. Thus, there will be no per domain name registration cost incurred by any party for this TLD and thus, no price changes and⁄or