.discover New gTLD Application
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New gTLD Application Submitted to ICANN by: Discover Financial Services
String: discover
Originally Posted: 13 June 2012
Application ID: 1-1423-36348
Applicant Information
- Full legal name
Discover Financial Services
- Address of the principal place of business
2500 Lake Cook Road
Riverwoods Illinois 60015
US
- Phone number
+1 224 405 0900
- Fax number
+1 224 405 4973
- If applicable, website or URL
https:⁄⁄www.discover.com⁄
Primary Contact
6(a). Name
Mr. Michael Adams
6(b). Title
Attorney of Record
6(c). Address
6(d). Phone Number
+1 312 701 8713
6(e). Fax Number
+1 312 706 9139
6(f). Email Address
Secondary Contact
7(a). Name
Mr. Roger Bartos
7(b). Title
Senior Counsel
7(c). Address
7(d). Phone Number
+1 224 405 0937
7(e). Fax Number
+1 224 405 4973
7(f). Email Address
Proof of Legal Establishment
8(a). Legal form of the Applicant
corporation
8(b). State the specific national or other jursidiction that defines the type of entity identified in 8(a).
Delaware
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.
New_York_Stock_Exchange;DFS
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
Cynthia A. Glassman Director
David W. Nelms Chairman
- Follin Smith Director
Gregory C. Case Director
Jeffrey S. Aronin Director
Lawrence A. Weinbach Lead Director
Mary K. Bush Director
Michael H. Moskow Director
Richard H. Lenny Director
Robert M. Devlin Director
Thomas G. Maheras Director
11(b). Name(s) and position(s) of all officers and partners
Carlos Minetti Executive Vice President, President – Consumer Banking and Operations
David W. Nelms Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Diane E. Offereins President – Payment Services
Glenn Schneider Senior Vice President, Chief Information Officer
Harit Talwar Executive Vice President, President – US Cards
James V. Panzarino Executive Vice President, Chief Credit Risk Officer
Kelly McNamara Corley Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary
Mary Oleksiuk Senior Vice President, Chief Human Resources Officer
- Mark Graf Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Roger C. Hochschild President and Chief Operating Officer
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.
discover
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.
Based on extensive experience in operating a robust e-commerce platform, including operation of the www.discover.com domain name, Applicant is not aware of any rendering, operational, or end-user issues or problems that would impact the applied-for .discover string. To date, Applicant has not experienced any significant or abnormal rendering, operational, or end-user issues with the www.discover.com domain name. Like the characters in the applied-for .discover string, the characters in Applicant’s www.discover.com domain name are from the ISO basic Latin alphabet. In light of the current resolution and rendering success of an identical “discover” string, Applicant does not anticipate any rendering or resolution issues with the .discover string.
Furthermore, Applicant has consulted with its selected backend provider, Neustar, which has successfully launched a number of new gTLDs over the last decade. Like Applicant, Neustar does not foresee any rendering or operational problems concerning the .discover string. In reaching this determination, Neustar analyzed the following data:
- ICANN’s Security Stability Advisory Committee (SSAC) entitled Alternative TLD Name Systems and Roots: Conflict, Control and Consequences (SAC009);
- IAB - RFC3696 “Application Techniques for Checking and Transformation of Names”;
- Known software issues which Neustar has encountered during the last decade launching new gTLDs;
- Character type and length;
- ICANN supplemental notes to Question 16; and
- ICANN’s presentation during its Costa Rica regional meeting on TLD Universal Acceptance.
Finally, in the unlikely event that any rendering or operational issues occur, Applicant will work with Neustar to take all steps necessary to resolve those issues.
- (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.
18(a) Mission⁄Purpose
Since 1985, Discover, by itself or through affiliated entities, has served as a leading financial services company in the United States and abroad. For nearly 30 years, Discover has helped consumers spend smarter, manage debt better, and save more money in order to achieve a brighter financial future. To this end, Discover has enjoyed significant popularity resulting from its position as a trusted financial services entity, including its significant recognition in the credit card and debit card industry. Indeed, Discover and its core brands, such as “DISCOVER,” “CASHBACK BONUS,” and others have achieved worldwide fame for the quality of products and services offered through Discover’s online network, organizations, and global affiliates. As a direct reflection of its worldwide popularity and quality of incredibly diversified product offerings, Discover saw net income totaling $2.2 billion in 2011.
Recognizing the potential of the .discover gTLD as a trusted namespace and its ability to enhance Discover’s brand and already robust e-business platform, Discover has decided to file this application and bring the .discover gTLD to market. More importantly, as the financial services community (and specifically the e-business segment thereof) is a high-frequency target to recurring fraud and related security threats, Discover views the .discover gTLD as a significant tool in increasing consumer confidence and safety in the online marketplace.
To this end, the intended mission and purpose of the . discover gTLD is to serve as a trusted, secure, and intuitive namespace for consumers to actively view Discover products, services, and information, interact with peers regarding Discover offerings, and purchase authentic Discover products and services at trusted and secured sites. In addition, the .discover gTLD will provide a secure platform for Discover itself to directly communicate with consumers and potential consumers through a recognizably secure top level domain.
Discover is still analyzing potential options for the type of second-level domain names that it will use within the .discover gTLD in order to best develop a namespace that will foster an intuitive, trusted, and marketable environment for Internet users and consumers while having access to authoritative content and up-to-date brand information. In an effort to achieve this goal of a secure and trusted environment, Discover will operate the .discover gTLD as a closed single-registrant registry to ensure that all second-level domain names operating within the gTLD will be controlled by Discover and its affiliates.
18(b). How do you expect that your proposed gTLD will benefit registrants, Internet users, and others?
18(b) Benefits
18(b).1 Consumer Benefits and User Experience
The intended mission and purpose of the .discover gTLD is to serve as a trusted and intuitive namespace for consumers and Internet users seeking to review information relating to, and purchase authentic products and services from, Discover and its affiliates.
The .discover gTLD will also benefit from the fame and predictability of Applicant’s DISCOVER and related brands that have developed through years of prestigious use in the marketplace. Indeed, unlike most generic gTLDs that ICANN has approved over the last decade, Discover is an established international financial services company with the ability to leverage its existing network of businesses and customers to increase the profile of the .discover gTLD. While most registries have primarily been dependent upon ICANN-accredited registrars to market and promote their gTLDs and fund their operations, Discover provides the ability to leverage its large market share, strong reputation, and existing relationships with various consumers and businesses in the financial services and related industries.
In the end, Discover believes that the proposed .discover gTLD has the potential to offer at least the following benefits to Internet users and consumers:
1) Establish a trusted source of information and online marketplace for the millions of consumers that purchase Discover’s authentic products and services on the Internet;
2) Provide Discover with short and memorable domain names that will facilitate the ease by which consumers can locate critical information or services online;
3) Minimize the social costs and harm to Internet users by ensuring fewer incidents of phishing and malware often associated with typographical errors existing in the top-level domain name space;
4) Minimize the social costs and harm to consumers by giving them access to authoritative information and authentic products and services via a trusted and reputable namespace in .discover;
5) Minimize the social costs and harm to consumers by providing heightened security for online financial transactions; and
6) Minimize the harm to third party rights holders within the .discover space, if any, by implementing all of ICANN’s consensus policies and other Rights Protection Mechanisms (RPMs).
18(b).2 Consumer Protection Mechanisms
As a closed single-registrant registry, Discover will be able to ensure that it, or its affiliates, are the sole source of product information and services within the .discover space. Moreover, based upon Discover’s commitment and established track record in providing a safe ecosystem for consumers and Internet users through its existing e-business efforts, Discover intends to provide best in class consumer protection mechanisms that will evolve over time (such as its Security Policy attached to this application in response to Question 30). While these are the initial policies that Discover will adopt for the operation of the .discover gTLD, it recognizes that protecting the safety of consumers in the .discover namespace will require diligence and a continued evolution of the policies, and Discover is committed to continuously monitoring and adapting its policies in order to create the highest level of consumer and user safety within the namespace.
While some of ICANN’s new gTLDs have previously been the subject of claims regarding increased spam and phishing activities, .discover from its launch will be a closed single-registrant registry and trusted source of Discover’s authentic products and services for consumers. Discover looks to follow its already-established good business practices—such as the Security Policy attached to this application in response to Question 30—and to work with government agencies to create a marketplace with safeguards designed to minimize fraud and other illegal activity.
In the end, as discussed above, the .discover gTLD will provide further enhanced protection against the security risks that are inherently heightened within the online financial services community. Indeed, the .discover gTLD will provide consumers with a known, trusted, and secure platform for online financial services.
18(b).3 User Data
Because every second-level domain name will be registered by Discover or its affiliates, no third party user data will be associated with the TLD, and will Discover have a vested interest in ensuring that accurate and current domain name information is readily available in connection with each .discover second-level domain name. Notwithstanding the above, as a global leader in the financial services and related industries, with operations in many legal jurisdictions and on the Internet, Discover will employ a variety of physical, electronic, contractual, and managerial safeguards, which will be no less restrictive than the precautions currently taken on Discover’s current e-business websites.
To further protect its own data, Discover intends to incorporate contractual language in its registrar agreements modeled after language which has been included in the template Registry Agreement and which has been successfully utilized by existing ICANN gTLD registry operators. In addition, Discover shall take reasonable steps to protect its data from loss, misuse, unauthorized disclosure, alteration, or destruction. Discover shall not use or authorize the use of its data in any way that is incompatible with the notice provided to registrants.
18(c). What operating rules will you adopt to eliminate or minimize social costs?
18(c) Operating Rules
18(c).1 Rules to Eliminate⁄Minimize Social Costs
Over the past decade, ICANN has approved numerous new gTLDs, which have historically been classified as either generic (.info, .biz, .name) or sponsored (.asia, coop, .travel, .jobs, etc.) gTLDs. It is anticipated that in this current new gTLD application round, many large international corporations will take the opportunity to register generic strings as top-level domains. This is a new approach to the operation of a gTLD, and the business plan relies on three important distinctions between it and the gTLDs that were approved in the 2001 and 2004 rounds of expansion.
First, there are now approximately ten small gTLDs that have fewer than 300,000 registrations and that offer clear models of successful operation; second, at least three experienced technical backend suppliers (i.e., SRS⁄DNS services) are in place; and third, with many new gTLDs, well-understood registry operations will be fully supported by an established and financially sound business operating a gTLD in addition to and as an extension of its primary business.
Against this backdrop, the present .discover gTLD minimizes the risk and uncertainty of prior gTLDs by drawing upon more than a decade of gTLD industry development and by relying upon the established online track record of Discover. Discover believes that the safeguards set forth in the Applicant Guidebook and RPMs identified in Section 18(b) are primary drivers to minimize potential negative social costs. Moreover, Discover intends to operate a closed single-registrant registry, which will ensure that only Discover or its affiliates are entrusted to register second-level domain names. This operating rule to prevent all third party registration will help to establish this trusted online environment for consumers to access authoritative online content directly from Discover or its affiliates, and by default, will minimize social costs. This verified ecosystem also will provide consumers with a single, trusted source for Discover’s products, services, and information with a substantially lower risk of fraud and⁄or malicious third party conduct.
18(c).2 Other Steps to Minimize Negative Consequences
Discover believes that the proposed operation of the closed .discover gTLD as set forth in this application has minimum known negative consequences or cost implications to consumers. To the contrary, the proposed operation of this registry will likely lead to direct and quantifiable benefits to consumers.
Due to the closed single-registrant nature of the .discover gTLD, there will be no cybersquatting or other malicious behavior in the gTLD, as registration will be limited to Discover and its affiliates. Following the core business ethics Discover has established over its nearly 30 years of operations, including a robust intellectual property program, it will be able to provide real value to consumers, and minimize any potential negative consequences and costs.
Similarly, as the operator of a closed single-registrant registry, Discover does not envision multiple applicants for the same second-level domain name. However, if such instances should arise in the future, Discover believes that a phased equitable allocation approach modeled after those that ICANN has previously approved in connection with numerous ICANN Registry Service Evaluation Process (“RSEP”) requests would be the most prudent path forward, e.g., RFP, auction, and then first-come, first-serve.
Finally, Discover does not envision any advantageous pricing, introductory discounts or bulk registration discounts because these marketing⁄commercial initiatives are inconsistent with the mission and purpose of the closed .discover gTLD as a secure online marketplace and trusted online source identifier.