.target New gTLD Application

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New gTLD Application Submitted to ICANN by: Target Domain Holdings, LLC

 

Application Downloaded On: 05 Nov 2014

 

String: target

 

Application ID: 1-1188-55951

 

Applicant Information

 

  1. Full legal name

Target Domain Holdings, LLC

 

  1. Address of the principal place of business

1000 Nicollet Mall Minneapolis, Minnesota - 55403 US

 

  1. Phone number

+1 612 696 2249

 

  1. Fax number

+1 612 696 3399

 

  1. If applicable, website or URL

 

Primary Contact

 

6(a). Name

Jamie Nafziger-White

 

6(b). Title

Partner

 

6(c). Address

 

6(d). Phone Number

612 285 1814

 

6(e). Fax Number

612 340 8856

 

6(f). Email Address

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

 

Secondary Contact

 

7(a). Name

Michael Kroll

 

7(b). Title

Sr. Intellectual Property Counsel

 

7(c). Address

 

7(d). Phone Number

+1 612 696 2249

 

7(e). Fax Number

+1 612 696 3399

 

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

Limited liability company

 

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

Minnesota

 

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.

Target Brands, Inc.

 

9(c). If the applying entity is a joint venture, list all joint venture partners.

Target Domain Holdings, LLC is not a joint venture.

 

Applicant Background

 

11(a). Name(s) and position(s) of all directors

Name

Position

Pawan S. Verma Governor

Stephen Calvin Lee Governor

 

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

Name

Position

Pawan S. Verma Vice President and Assistant Secretary

Stephen Calvin Lee Chief Manager, Secretary and Treasurer

 

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

Name

Position

Target Brands, 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.

target

 

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.

 

Target Domain Holdings, LLC (ʺTarget Domainʺ) foresees no known rendering issues in connection with the proposed  .target string for which it is applying as a gTLD. This answer is based upon consultation with Target Domainʹs preferred backend provider, Neustar, which has successfully launched a number of new gTLDs over the last decade. In reaching this determination, the following data points were analyzed:

 

-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 of 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.

 

  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.

 

The mission and purpose of the .target gTLD is to meet the needs of Target Corporation and to help make Target the preferred shopping destination for its guests by delivering outstanding value, continuous innovation and an exceptional guest experience by consistently fulfilling its Expect More. Pay Less.® brand promise.

 

Minneapolis-based Target Corporation (NYSE:TGT) serves guests at 1,765 stores across the United States and at Target.com. The company plans to open its first stores in Canada in 2013. In addition, the company operates a credit card segment that offers branded proprietary credit card products. Since 1946, Target has given 5 percent of its income through community grants and programs; today, that giving equals more than $3 million a week.  For more information on Target Corporation, please visit http:⁄⁄pressroom.target.com⁄pr⁄news⁄corporate-overview.aspx.  For more information about Target’s commitment to corporate responsibility, visit http:⁄⁄hereforgood.target.com.

 

Target Domain Holdings, LLC (“Target Domain”) is a subsidiary of Target Corporation.  Target Domain will operate the .target gTLD as a closed registry.  Target Domain will be the sole registrant of all domain names within the registry.

 

All domain names within the .target gTLD will be used in association with content provided by Target Corporation or its other subsidiaries.

 

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

 

ʺi. What is the goal of your proposed gTLD in terms of areas of specialty, service levels, or reputation?ʺ

 

Target Domain’s goal for the .target gTLD in terms of areas of specialty is to focus on protecting and promoting the Target brand by providing content that benefits Target’s guests, shareholders, and community giving initiatives.

 

With regard to service level goals, Target Domain, through its selected registry services provider, Neustar, intends to provide a high level of service, and will meet or exceed all of the ICANN Performance Specifications as specified in the Registry Agreement.

 

In terms of reputation, the goal of the .target gTLD is to enhance Target’s already exceptional reputation.  Target has received numerous awards which demonstrate its reputation.  Its corporate awards and recognition from 2011 alone included:

 

-A Great Place to Work:

  • Fortune magazine ranked Target No. 22 on its list of ʺWorldʹs Most Admired Companiesʺ
  • Fortune magazine included Target on its “They’re Hiring” list
  • Forbes magazine ranked Target No. 23 on its list of “America’s Most Reputable Big Companies”
  • BusinessWeek magazine included Target on its list of “IDEAL Employers for Undergrads”
  • Universum ranked Target No. 38 on its list of “Top IDEAL Employers for Young Professionals”
  • Institutional Investor magazine ranked Target No. 2 on its ʺ2011 All-America Executive Team: Most Admired Companiesʺ list
  • DiversityInc magazine ranked Target No. 44 on its list of ʺTop 50 Companies for Diversityʺ
  • Profiles in Diversity Journal honored Target with its ʺ2011 Diversity Leader Awardʺ
  • Diversity Employers Magazine ranked Target No. 10 on its list of “Top 100 Employers for the Class of 2011”
  • National Business Group on Health honored Target with a “Best Employers for Healthy Lifestyles” gold award
  • Alliance to Make US Healthiest awarded Target silver level HealthLead accreditation for its team member well-being initiatives
  • Orion International included Target on its list of Top 20 Military Friendly Companies
  • Navy Reserve recognized Target as one of the top employers for Navy Reserve Sailors

 

 

-Corporate Citizenship:

  • Ethisphere Institute named Target one of the ʺWorldʹs Most Ethical Companiesʺ
  • Corporate Responsibility Magazine ranked Target No. 42 on its list of ʺ100 Best Corporate Citizensʺ
  • Boston College Center for Corporate Citizenship ranked Target No. 29 out of 50 on its Corporate Social Responsibility Index
  • Greenpeace rated Target the No. 2 retailer on its “Carting Away the Oceans” sustainable seafood scorecard
  • Harris Interactive ranked Target No. 28 on its Reputation Quotient Survey for its performance in six dimensions of reputation
  • Newsweek Magazine ranked Target No. 236 on its U.S. 500 and No. 346 on its Global 500 Green Rankings

 

 

-Brand and Store Experience:

  • Fortune magazine ranked Target No. 7 on its “Top Tweeter: Social Media Champs” list
  • The International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences recognized Target with a People’s Voice award for Target’s iPad application

 

Pursuing innovation in the new gTLD space will help enhance Target’s stature as a leading company.

 

 

ʺii. What do you anticipate your proposed gTLD will add to the current space, in terms of competition, differentiation, or innovation?ʺ

 

The .target gTLD will protect the goodwill associated with the Target brand that has been built through decades of providing outstanding value to Target’s guests and supporting the communities that Target shares with those guests.  Maintaining a strong brand helps Target to differentiate itself from other retailers that are its competition and to benefit the public by preventing consumer confusion.

 

Target is recognized as a leader in innovation across the retail industry.  From pioneering the concept of designer partnerships to consistently being best in class in store design, Target remains focused on not only meeting, but exceeding, its guests’ needs.  To remain relevant to its guests over time, Target continually reinvents its stores, including layout, presentation and merchandise assortment, to create an engaging shopping experience.  Target has followed the same path by evolving its online retailing to meet its guests needs.  The .target gTLD is emblematic of Target’s determination to innovate.

 

Brand-oriented gTLDs have never existed on the internet before.  Their addition to the current space will provide a new way for internet users to interact with companies online.  The opportunities for innovation in this new space are endless and include:  giving customers a unified online space in which to find information about a company’s products and services; providing customers with a greater degree of certainty about the source of a website; and allowing for development of elegant website architecture design in connection with sub-brands and locations.

 

 

ʺiii. What goals does your proposed gTLD have in terms of user experience?ʺ

 

Target has long been committed to providing its guests with an online environment that combines 1) user-friendliness and 2) reliability with 3) innovation to meet its guests’ constantly- evolving online preferences.  See http:⁄⁄pressroom.target.com⁄pr⁄news⁄target-launches-redesigned-e-commerce-aug2011.aspx.  These factors have helped Target earn guests’ loyalty for years, both in stores and online, and they are the goals for the .target gTLD user experience as well.

 

ʺiv. Provide a complete description of the applicant’s intended registration policies in support of the goals listed above.ʺ

 

The registration policy that will support the goals listed above is that the .target gTLD will be a closed registry.  Only Target Domain will be allowed to register domain names, and Target Domain will register domain names that create a user experience marked by 1) user-friendliness, 2) reliability, and 3) innovation.

 

 

ʺv. 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.ʺ

 

The only registrant will be Target Domain.  Target Domain will protect its confidential information, and there will no need to impose measures, such as through registration policies, for protecting the privacy or confidential information of Target Domain.

 

Users visiting websites or otherwise interacting with content associated with domain names in the registry will have their privacy protected as described in the privacy policies and practices associated with each website within the new gTLD.  An example of a current Target privacy policy is:  http:⁄⁄sites.target.com⁄site⁄en⁄spot⁄page.jsp?title=privacy_policy

 

 

ʺvi  Describe whether and in what ways outreach and communications will help to achieve your projected benefits.ʺ

 

Outreach and communications will contribute to acheiving the benefits of the .target gTLD for users.  Advertisements in all appropriate media will be used as necessary to lead users to content associated with the domain names in the .target gTLD.

 

Outreach and communications will not be needed in terms of new registrants, since all registrations will be owned by Target Domain.

 

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?

 

ʺi. How will multiple applications for a particular domain name be resolved, for example, by auction or on a first-come⁄first-serve basis?ʺ

 

Not applicable.  It will not be possible for there to be multiple applications for a particular domain name because only Target Domain may register domain names.

 

ʺii. Explain any cost benefits for registrants you intend to implement (e.g., advantageous pricing, introductory discounts, bulk registration discounts).ʺ

 

Not applicable.  Target Domain will not charge itself for registrations, hence, there cannot be any such cost benefits.

 

ʺiii. 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.ʺ

 

Not applicable.  Target Domain will be the only registrant and need not make contractual commitments to itself.