.pru New gTLD Application
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New gTLD Application Submitted to ICANN by: Prudential Financial, Inc.
Application Downloaded On: 09 Oct 2014
String: pru
Application ID: 1-1329-41024
Applicant Information
- Full legal name
Prudential Financial, Inc.
- Address of the principal place of business
751 Broad St Newark, New Jersey - 07102 US
- Phone number
01 973 802 6000
- Fax number
01 973 367 7121
- If applicable, website or URL
http://www.prudential.com/
Primary Contact
6(a). Name
Mark Partridge
6(b). Title
Owner Partridge IP Law P.C.
6(c). Address
6(d). Phone Number
3126349501
6(e). Fax Number
3122757503
6(f). Email Address
Secondary Contact
7(a). Name
Colin O'Brien
7(b). Title
Attorney at Partridge IP Law, P.C.
7(c). Address
7(d). Phone Number
3126349503
7(e). Fax Number
3122757503
7(f). Email Address
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).
New Jersey, United States
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 / PRU
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
Christine A. Poon Member of the Board
Constance J. Horner Member of the Board
Douglas A. Scovanner Member of the Board
Gilbert F. Casellas Member of the Board
Gordon M. Bethune Member of the Board
James A. Unruh Member of the Board
James G. Cullen Member of the Board
John R. Strangfeld Chairman and CEO
Karl J. Krapek Member of the Board
Mark B. Grier Member of the Board Vice Chairman
Martina Hund-Mejean Member of the Board
Thomas J. Baltimore, Jr. Member of the Board of Directors
11(b). Name(s) and position(s) of all officers and partners
Name
Position
Barbara G. Koster Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer
Charles F. Lowrey Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer, International
John R. Strangfeld Chairman and CEO
Mark B. Grier Vice Chairman
Nick Silitch Senior Vice President and Chief Risk Officer
Richard Lambert Senior Vice President and Chief Actuary
Robert Falzon Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Scott Sleyster Senior Vice President and Chief Investment Officer
Sharon C. Taylor Senior Vice President, Corporate Human Resources
Stephen Pelletier Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer, U.S. Businesses
Susan L. Blount Executive Vice President and General Counsel
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.
pru
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.
- 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’s applied for gTLD string will be written in basic Latin alphabet. As such, Applicant does not believe there will be any operational or rendering problems concerning the applied for gTLD string.
- 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.
The purpose of Applicant’s new TLD is to create a closed branded TLD to enhance the security, stability, and recognition of Applicant’s websites and the Internet communications of Applicant’s worldwide employees and business operations groups. In doing so, Applicant will improve its interactions both within the company and with external customers and consumers. Applicant is a world leader in the fields of insurance, investments, retirement, annuities and employee benefits. As such, its customers expect it to be on the cutting edge of technology when it comes to Internet security, data privacy, and brand protection. By operating a closed TLD, Applicant expects to ensure that the associated URLs and email addresses are recognized as owned and controlled by Applicant, and are secure and reliable. Applicant intends to use the TLD in various ways consistent with this mission, including but not limited to the use of second level domains within the branded TLD as:
- URLs for external and internal websites to help internet users insure that the website truly originates with and is controlled by Applicant.
- Email addresses for Applicant’s business groups to give recipients assurance that the messages are legitimate and originate with Applicant.
- URLs for private customer websites.
Applicant believes the operation of closed branded TLDs will promote competition by insuring best in class practices among registry service providers and among registrars, who will strive to meet the highest standards of corporate registry owners who have elected to put their brand on a TLD.
The ability to improve security and stability within the closed TLD will enhance consumer trust in the operation of the Internet. When a highly respected company such as Prudential puts its brand on the TLD, customers will rightly trust that the TLD will represent the highest possible standards in the industry and that Prudential stands behind the operation of the TLD and has selected industry leaders as its service provider partners.
The existence of branded TLDs will promote consumer choice by giving consumers the ability to focus on trusted brands for their dealings on the Internet; such choice is increased as the closed branded TLD business model becomes more common. Applicant considers user trust, security, and stability to be critical features of its TLD plans, and therefore intends to utilize best in class procedures to avoid cybersquatting, phishing, piracy and confusion within the TLD, and has chosen to work with service providers who meet the highest standards for data protection, stabile operations, and privacy protection.
Applicant further believes that the risks and problems involved in the launch of gTLDs are mitigated or fully avoided in the case of closed branded TLDs since there is a single registrant controlling the use of a limited number branded domain names. Among the safeguards that accomplish this goal is the fact that the registry is available to a single registrant who is the owner of the brand reflected by the TLD who has a vested interest in the continued integrity and reputation of that brand. As a result, there is no risk of cybersquatting, abusive registration, or misuse of the domain by unscrupulous registrants. Similarly, there is no incentive to engage in speculative registration of unnecessary domain names for resale, pay per click advertising, or other monetization schemes. This will reduce clutter in the domain name space by insuring that all active domains have a business purpose relevant to the brand, thereby enhancing the utility for use by customers, consumers, and other Internet users.
The nature of the TLD as a closed branded registry also eliminates introduction and expansion problems caused by the rush of applicants to secure prime domain names, since the only eligible registrant is the owner of the brand reflected in the TLD. This leaves little possibility for conflict between competing parties claiming interest in identical or confusingly similar names during the introduction of the domain. To further prevent that possibility, Applicant, as a brand owner, will adopt the best practices of dispute resolution and avoidance so that any unintentional conflicts can be quickly and effectively resolved.
18B. How do you expect that your proposed gTLD will benefit registrants, Internet users, and others?
Applicant expects the operation of its closed branded TLD to provide a range of benefits including:
- Applicant and its related entities, as the registrants of the domain names in the TLD, will benefit from the enhanced security, stability, and recognition of its Internet operations. The branded TLD will permit Applicant to insure that its Internet presence, through websites and email messages, is owned and controlled by Applicant. Applicant will also benefit from enhanced recognition of the PRU brand and enhanced reputation in the technology market as a leader in the use of a secure TLD in its internal and external communications.
- Applicant’s customers and other Internet users will benefit from the assurance that any communication or website that contains the applied for TLD string originates with and is controlled by the Applicant, thereby avoiding or reducing the risk of phishing, online confusion, and cybersquatting.
- Additionally, Applicant expects the business model associated with the applied for gTLD will benefit the Internet community in general by creating a business model which can be emulated by others, by enhancing the perception of the Internet as a stable and secure marketplace, and by encouraging the use of branded TLDs to reduce the risk of phishing, confusion, and cybersquatting.
The goal of the TLD is to provide customers, consumers and Internet users with a trusted, branded TLD relating to products and services of an established leader in the financial, insurance, and investment industries. This will provide enhanced levels of service for users seeking products and services in Applicant’s field. The reputation of Applicant’s established brand applied to a dedicated TLD will enhance consumer confidence in the online market and also enhance Applicant’s reputation as a trusted online presence.
In the current gTLD space, it is difficult for Applicant’s customers to separate legitimate use of Applicant’s domain names from minor variations designed to trade on Applicant’s brand but not controlled or authorized by Applicant. The proposed TLD provides specific differentiation with other gTLDs . As a general business practice, Applicant believes the use of a branded TLD will lead others to seek improved differentiation online and to enhance online stability and security. This competition between branded TLDs in the online market will benefit Internet users through improved online security and reduced confusion arising from unauthorized domain names clutter the online market.
User experience in the proposed TLD will be enhanced in several ways. First, users seeking services in the financial, insurance, and investment industries will quickly be able to locate a market leader based on its branded TLD with less clutter than currently exists due to uninhibited registration of similar names. Second, users will have the assurance that websites and email messages from the branded TLD are authorized, owned, and controlled by the brand owner that stands behind the name. Finally, the ability to locate a company by name, without the risk of unauthorized third parties co-existing with derivative names, improves user confidence and reliance on the online market.
The TLD registry policies that support these goals include:
- A closed registry in which ownership of domain names is restricted to the brand owner and its affiliates. The registry is a closed branded TLD. Therefore, the only qualified domain registration owners are controlled by the brand owner, enhancing security, confidence, and recognition.
- A reduced number of potential domain names, which maintains the distinctiveness of the allowed domain names and reduces customer and user confusion.
- Best in class dispute resolution policies, including the UDRP, URS, and Trademark Clearinghouse, managed by the best qualified providers.
- Online privacy protection, managed by the best in class privacy service partners.
Privacy in the TLD is maintained by the fact that the TLD registrant is limited to the brand owner and its affiliates. User information privacy is assured by Applicant’s ongoing adherence to the highest standards of privacy imposed by international law.
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?
Applicant’s TLD will be a value added service to its employees, business units, and customers . Applicant will own and issue all second level domains associated with the applied for TLD. Applicant’s control of the second level domains will ensure that there will never be multiple applications for a particular domain name.
There will be no charge to the Applicant’s employees, business units, or customers to use a second level domain associated with the applied for TLD.
Applicant will be the sole owner of all domain names associated with the applied for TLD. Applicant will contract with a single registrar to assist with the maintenance of the domain names it issues.
Multiple applications for multiple domain names will not occur since the TLD is a single-registrant domain. Pricing issues for applicants are therefore inapplicable. Similarly, the length of registration is not an issue. Applicant intends that the domain names may be registered as long as is necessary or useful for the purpose of the TLD. Likewise, there will be no issue of price increases or price escalation for registrants.