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.AETNA New gTLD Application

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New gTLD Application Submitted to ICANN by: Aetna Life Insurance Company

 

Application Downloaded On: 08 May 2015

 

String: AETNA

 

Application ID: 1-1850-74225

 

Applicant Information

 

  1. Full legal name

Aetna Life Insurance Company

 

  1. Address of the principal place of business

151 Farmington Avenue Hartford, Connecticut - 06156 US

 

  1. Phone number

+011 860 273 0123

 

  1. Fax number

+011 860 273 8340

 

  1. If applicable, website or URL

http://www.aetna.com

 

Primary Contact

 

6(a). Name

Cheri Sullivan

 

6(b). Title

Paralegal, Intellectual Property & Technology

 

6(c). Address

 

6(d). Phone Number

+011 860 273 2587

 

6(e). Fax Number

+011 860 273 6939

 

6(f). Email Address

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 

Secondary Contact

 

7(a). Name

Kris Floyd

 

7(b). Title

Executive Director, Digital Governance and Product Management

 

7(c). Address

 

7(d). Phone Number

(860) 273-2605

 

7(e). Fax Number

N/A

 

7(f). Email Address

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 

Proof of Legal Establishment

 

8(a). Legal form of the Applicant

Corporation

 

8(b). State the specific national or other jurisdiction that defines the type of entity identified in 8(a).

Connecticut, US

 

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

Name

Position

Jean C. LaTorre Vice President, Chief Investment Officer

Mark T. Bertolini Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

 

11(b). Name(s) and position(s) of all officers and partners

Name

Position

Jean C. LaTorre Vice President, Chief Investment Officer

John David Buda Vice President, Finance and Treasurer

Judith Helen Jones Vice President and Corporate Secretary

Mark T. Bertolini Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

Shawn Michael Guertin Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer

 

11(c). Name(s) and position(s) of all shareholders holding at least 15% of shares

Name

Position

Aetna, Inc. Not Applicable

 

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

 

  1. Provide the applied-for gTLD string. If an IDN, provide the U-label.

AETNA

 

14A. If applying for an IDN, provide the A-label (beginning with "xn--").

 

 

14B. 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.

 

 

14C1. If an IDN, provide the language of the label (in English).

 

 

14C2. If an IDN, provide the language of the label (as referenced by ISO-639-1).

 

 

14D1. If an IDN, provide the script of the label (in English).

 

 

14D2. If an IDN, provide the script of the label (as referenced by ISO 15924).

 

 

14E. If an IDN, list all code points contained in the U-label according to Unicode form.

 

 

15A. If an IDN, upload IDN tables for the proposed registry.  An IDN table must include:

the applied-for gTLD string relevant to the tables,

the script or language designator (as defined in BCP 47),

table version number,

effective date (DD Month YYYY), and

contact name, email address, and phone number.

Submission of IDN tables in a standards-based format is encouraged.

 

 

15B. Describe the process used for development of the IDN tables submitted, including consultations and sources used.

 

 

15C. List any variants to the applied-for gTLD string according to the relevant IDN tables.

 

 

  1. 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.

 

Aetna has consulted with various experts in the field of domain names, including its selected back-end registry operator, who is currently managing various TLDs, including but not limited to .BIZ, .TEL, and .CO. Furthermore, the extension .AETNA is a string that entirely consists of standard US ASCII characters, as is the case with most extensions currently available in the DNS.   Therefore, to Aetna’s best knowledge and belief, no specific issues are to be expected regarding  the operation and rendering of the .AETNA gTLD.

 

  1. OPTIONAL.

Provide a representation of the label according to the International Phonetic Alphabet (http://www.langsci.ucl.ac.uk/ipa/).

 

 

18A. Describe the mission/purpose of your proposed gTLD.

 

As the life and health insurance subsidiary of health care company Aetna Inc., Aetna Life Insurance Company (“Aetna”) offers group life policies, health policies and related health care benefits, and select individual products throughout North America. It also provides disability insurance and related services.  Aetna was founded in 1853 and is the primary entity that makes up Aetna Inc.ʹs Group Insurance, health care and legacy large case pensions businesses.  

 

Aetna, through its parent, Aetna Inc., owns various trademarks in the United States, including:  “AETNA”, Serial No. 85⁄576,962; “AETNA”, Registration No.: 1,939,424; “AETNA NAVIGATOR”, Registration No.: 3,308,001; “AETNA HEALTHFUND”, Registration No. 2,765,645; and “DocFind”, Reg. No. 2,075,630, among hundreds of others.  

 

Aetna also owns over 1,200 domain names related to the AETNA® brand.  For example, Aetna has owned aetna.com since 1993, and also owns⁄operates aetnamedicare.com, and docfind.com.  Applicant actively uses aetna.com to provide insurance products, services, and information to its policyholders.  

Aetna markets its products and services under the AETNA® marks and related brands.  It  has continuously used the AETNA® marks and name in commerce in the United States – prominently using and promoting the AETNA® marks in advertising, in sales, and in various other ways.  As a result of these efforts, the AETNA® marks are highly regarded, well-known and widely recognized by consumers, and serve to identify and indicate Aetna as a source of its products and services.  The marks also serve to distinguish Aetna’s products and services from the products and services of others.  As a result, Aetna has spent considerable resources protecting these marks and its brand.

 

With this in mind, the mission and purpose of Aetna’s application for the .AETNA gTLD is as follows:

  1. secure and protect Aetna’s brand as a gTLD;

 

  1. reflect the AETNA® marks and brand at the top level of the DNS’ hierarchy;

 

  1. provide a secure and trusted platform for electronic communication and transactions on the Internet;

 

  1. provide Aetna’s stakeholders with a recognizable and trusted identifier on the Internet. Such stakeholders include, but are not limited to:

 

  • subsidiaries;
  • official dealers and retailers of Aetna’s products and services;
  • affiliates, including providers and resellers;
  • regulators;
  • prospective and current customers; and
  • directors and officers of Aetna and its parent company, Aetna Inc.; and

 

  1. provide such stakeholders with a secure and safe Internet environment, which increases brand awareness and stakeholder trust – two key assets within the insurance industry.

 

18B. How do you expect that your proposed gTLD will benefit registrants, Internet users, and others?

 

Aetna Life Insurance Company (“Aetna”) expects its proposed gTLD will benefit registrants, Internet users, and others by providing them with a new, secure,  and innovative space to access Aetna’s products and services.  This will improve Aetna’s brand recognition, will minimize confusion for Internet users searching for Aetna’s products and services, and will increase safety and security for Internet users when using the applied-for gTLD.  This can be achieved in any of the following ways, which will be further refined following ICANN’s award and delegation of the .AETNA TLD to Aetna.

 

  1. The goals of the applied-for gTLD are related to Applicant’s Aetna brand. The applied-for gTLD, .AETNA,  reflects Aetna’s most-recognized brand and mark.  By applying for this TLD, Aetna aims to protect, develop, and maintain its brand  reputation in the insurance industry.

 

  1. From Aetna’s perspective, the applied-for gTLD will bring a high degree of recognition, differentiation, and specialization to the currently existing name space.  Where in most cases the specific connotation that has been initially given to gTLDs (or even ccTLDs) has disappeared, the applied-for top-level domain is intended to be unambiguous regarding: the identity of the Registry Operator; the source of the content and services offered under the applied-for gTLD; the affiliation between the Registry Operator and the gTLD; and the affiliation between the Registry Operator and any third party that is authorized by Aetna, at its discretion, to register and⁄or use one or more domain names in the applied-for gTLD.

 

  1. The following goals of the applied-for gTLD are related to the expected improvement in the user’s experience:
  2. Securing and protecting Aetna’s key brand as a gTLD.  Securing the applied-for gTLD is a logical extension of Aetna’s continued investment in protecting and promoting its brand both offline and online.  Aetna also seeks to avoid any confusion that may result from another entity holding the applied-for gTLD.  This is particularly beneficial for users of the Internet and consumers of Aetna’s products and services.  

 

  1. Reflecting and operating Aetna’s brand at the top-level of the DNS’ hierarchy.  The ease with which users will be able to locate Aetna’s brand at the top-level of the DNS’ hierarchy is also beneficial to users.

 

  1. Creating trust, safety and security for users.  The gTLD, and most, if not all of the domain names registered therein, will be completely or at least partially under the control of the Registry Operator.

 

  1. Aetna intends to implement restrictive registration policies in support of the mission and purpose of the applied for gTLD.  In particular, Aetna intends to implement the following policies and procedures with respect to the registration of domain names in the .AETNA TLD, including but not limited to:

 

  1. Reservation and registration of domain names in the name of Aetna, with the option to sell, distribute, or transfer control or use of any registrations in the applied-for TLD to Aetna’s subsidiaries and or other affiliates. It is likely that this will be the scenario that Aetna will put in place during the first months or even years of operation of the applied-for gTLD.  The names may include, but are not limited to:

 

  1. a) descriptive names, referring to the actual day-to-day business activities of Aetna and⁄or its subsidiaries and affiliates;
  2. b) descriptive names, referring to the internal departments of Aetna;
  3. c) descriptive names, referring to specific platforms serviced by Aetna;
  4. d) products and service brands promoted by Aetna, its subsidiaries, and its affiliates now and in the future; and
  5. e) other similar domain names.

 

  1. Launch of the TLD:  When implemented by the Registry Operator, this is likely going to be a gradual process, whereby Aetna and selected third parties that meet certain criteria may register domain names in the gTLD.  These processes may include the following:  

 

  1. a) Sunrise: allow physical persons, organizations and entities that meet the eligibility requirements in force at that point in time to choose the domain names that are identical to their marks.
  2. b) Land rush and general availability: allows physical persons, organizations and entities that meet the eligibility requirements in force at that point in time to register available domain names in accordance with the applicable terms and conditions.
  3. c) Depending on the terms and conditions in force at the time of launch of the gTLD, these domain names may or may not be registered in the name of the applicant for the domain name or in the name of Aetna for the gTLD. In any case, Aetna reserves the right to impose additional and other restrictions from time to time at its sole discretion.

 

  1. Aetna will implement any necessary and applicable measures for protecting the privacy and confidential information of registrants and users.  Due to the nature of the applied-for gTLD there will likely be limited, if any, personal data to protect in the applied-for gTLD.  In any event, given the fact that Aetna is licensed as an insurer and operates as an insurer in various states in the United States, it is subject to both federal and state, privacy and data protection laws, rules and⁄or practices.  Therefore, Aetna will at all times be obliged to carefully consider and, where applicable, implement privacy, data protection and confidentiality measures during operation of the applied-for gTLD.

 

  1. Aetna has considered various ways to implement outreach and communications to achieve projected benefits.  While at this stage Aetna has not developed exact plans in order to establish online activities in the applied-for gTLD or move online activities from one or more of its active domain names to the applied-for gTLD, it will implement different initiatives to make stakeholders aware of the development of the new online environment under the applied-for gTLD, including but not limited to:
  2. advertisements in newspapers and magazines;
  3. Internet advertising campaigns;
  4. redirecting Internet traffic from its key domain names to domain names registered in the .AETNA TLD;
  5. email marketing campaigns; and
  6. other similar initiatives.

 

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?

 

 

  1. Given the nature of the applied-for gTLD and its mission and purpose, Aetna considers it unlikely that there will be multiple applications for a particular domain name in the applied-for gTLD.  Even so, Aetna Life Insurance Company (“Aetnaʺ)  still intends to adopt a number of operating rules to eliminate or minimize unforeseen social costs and negative consequences, including limiting registration to Aetna and⁄or Aetna affiliates, and their trademarks, programs, and internal departments.  

 

More specifically, and in line with Aetna’s mission and purpose for the .AETNA TLD, it is important for Aetna to safeguard and protect the AETNA® mark at the top level of the DNS’ hierarchy. Such protection does not only extend to the actual registration, delegation and use of the TLD, but also to the domain names that are registered therein, and how these domain names are used.

 

Therefore, following the delegation of the applied-for gTLD, the gTLD is likely going to be a so-called “single registrant TLD” as contemplated by ICANN in Article 4.5 of the template Registry Operator Agreement.  While Aetna  has not fully determined the exact types of domain names to be registered and the exact use of such domain names, the Applicant nonetheless initially contemplates a single registrant TLD.  For the avoidance of doubt, a “single registrant TLD” is a TLD where “(i) all domain name registrations in the TLD are registered to, and maintained by, Registry Operator for its own exclusive use, and (ii) Registry Operator does not sell, distribute or transfer control or use of any registrations in the TLD to any third party that is not an Affiliate of Registry Operator.” The term “Affiliate” has been defined in Article 2.9 (c) of the draft Registry Operator Agreement as follows:“a person or entity that, directly or indirectly, through one or more intermediaries, controls, or is controlled by, or is under common control with, the person or entity specified.”

 

This means that parties who are not Aetna or – insofar and to the extent Aetna deems appropriate – an Affiliate of Aetna - will not be entitled to register domain names in the .AETNA TLD.  As a result, it is unlikely that there will be multiple applications for a particular domain name.  There likely will also be no social costs for third parties, given the fact that they will be unable to register domain names in the applied-for gTLD in any event.

 

Aetna believes this to be in line with two of the main elements in its mission statement, namely:

 

  • protecting and safeguarding the AETNA® mark, brand, and its reputation, by keeping full control over the entire operation of the .AETNA registry and every domain name registered therein; and

 

  • guaranteeing to Aetna’s key stakeholders who are interacting with Aetna and, as the case may be, its Affiliates, by using domain name registrations in .AETNA, that they are in fact interacting with the brand owner or its authorized Affiliates.

 

Nonetheless, even if only Aetna (and, as the case may be, Aetna’s Affiliates) will be entitled to register domain names, this does not exclude the possibility that disputes may arise with one or more third parties regarding domain names that are registered in the .AETNA TLD.  In order to avoid these risks, Aetna intends to implement the following policies and processes:

 

First, the domain names to be registered by Aetna and, as the case may be, its Affiliates, will likely relate to the following:

 

  • registered trademarks of Aetna;
  • names of the Affiliates of Aetna;
  • names of departments within AETNA and its Affiliates;
  • programs offered through the .AETNA gTLD;
  • and other similar entities or concepts.

 

Second, Aetna intends to register generic words that are directly or indirectly related to the day-to-day business activities and operations of Aetna and its Affiliates.

 

Prior to effectively registering such domain names in the .AETNA TLD, Aetna will require its legal and intellectual property department to review the list of these domain names on a regular basis in order to satisfy itself that they will not infringe the rights of third parties.  In the event that Aetna has a legitimate interest in the domain name, because it is merely descriptive of the activities, products or services offered by Aetna and⁄or its Affiliates, it is likely that a third party would not have a valid claim under the Uniform Dispute Resolution Policy or Uniform Rapid Suspension policy.

 

With regard to the names referred to in Specification 5 to the template Registry Operator Agreement, Aetna will follow the processes and procedures established by ICANN and the Governmental Advisory Committee.

 

While Aetna has provided significant detail here for its proposed gTLD, considering the fact that the actual award and delegation of the applied-for gTLD to Aetna is subject to the successful evaluation of the application, these details will be further refined and developed once the gTLD is granted to Aetna.

 

For instance, if after the delegation of the gTLD Aetna determines that it will allow additional categories of stakeholders to register domain names in the applied-for gTLD, it will devise policies to that effect. These policies will include the release of such available domain names post launch in a highly controlled manner – reducing the likelihood that two or more applicants qualify for the registration of the same domain name in the .AETNA TLD. If a dispute does arise, domain names will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.

In any event, Aetna reserves the right to subject the registration or use of a domain name to internal approval processes and procedures at each and every step of the domain name life cycle. It also reserves the right to change or restrict any policies, procedures, and practices at any point in time if it is of the opinion that there would be a risk that the reputation of the AETNA® marks or brand would be damaged.

 

  1. At the outset, Aetna Life Insurance Company, the Registry Operator, intends to make the applied-for gTLD available to qualifying domain name registrants at no cost to them. As the business develops, however, it may, at its discretion, charge a fee for the registration of domain names under the applied-for gTLD.  

 

  1. Over time, it may also, at its discretion, make contractual commitments to implement, increase or decrease the fees for the registration of domain names under the applied-for gTLD.  However, it will make such changes according to the contractual commitments it has negotiated with the registrants of its TLD.