.YAHOO New gTLD Application

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New gTLD Application Submitted to ICANN by: Yahoo! Domain Services Inc.

 

Application Downloaded On: 09 Jan 2014

 

String: YAHOO

 

Application ID: 1-1168-48888

 

Applicant Information

 

  1. Full legal name

Yahoo! Domain Services Inc.

 

  1. Address of the principal place of business

701 First Avenue Sunnyvale, California - 94089 US

 

  1. Phone number

+1 408 349 3300

 

  1. Fax number

+1 408 349 3400

 

  1. If applicable, website or URL

 

Primary Contact

 

6(a). Name

Lorna Gradden

 

6(b). Title

Operations Director

 

6(c). Address

 

6(d). Phone Number

+44 207 421 8250

 

6(e). Fax Number

+44 870 011 8187

 

6(f). Email Address

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

 

Secondary Contact

 

7(a). Name

Laura Covington

 

7(b). Title

Vice President, Intellectual Property Policy

 

7(c). Address

 

7(d). Phone Number

+1 408 349 5187

 

7(e). Fax Number

 

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).

Delaware, 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.

Yahoo! Inc.

 

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

Aman Sudhir Kothari Director, Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer

Ronald S. Bell Director, Vice President and Secretary

 

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

Name

Position

Aman Sudhir Kothari Director, President, Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer

Ronald S. Bell Director, Vice President and Secretary

 

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

Name

Position

Yahoo! 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.

YAHOO

 

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.

 

As the applied-for gTLD string is not an IDN and is consistent with the requirements of the Applicant Guidebook Section 2.2.1.3.2 (String Requirements), Yahoo! Domain Services Inc. does not believe there are any known operational or rendering problems concerning the string.

 

 

  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.

 

Yahoo! Inc. is a premier digital media company which delivers personalised digital content and experiences across devices and around the globe to vast audiences.

 

Yahoo! Inc. was developed in 1994 by founders, David Filo and Jerry Yang and incorporated in 1995.  We are a Delaware corporation with headquarters in Sunnyvale, California, and employ over 10,000 staff who are based in offices in more than 25 countries, regions and territories. Yahoo! has been a publicly traded company since 2006 and in the 2010⁄2011 year had revenues of $6.3 billion.

 

Our product offerings fall into three main categories: communications and communities; search and marketplaces and media.  The majority of our offerings are marketed in more than 25 languages and in more than 50 countries, regions and territories.

 

Yahoo! is the leading online ad network in the U.S., with more total unique visitors, average daily visitors, and total pages viewed than any other ad network. We derive the majority of our revenue from display and search which for calendar year 2010 represented 84% of our total revenue.

 

Yahoo! Domain Services Inc (YDS), a subsidiary of Yahoo! Inc. will manage Yahoo! Inc.’s gTLD domain name matters, including the .yahoo TLD. YDS’s goal is to assist Yahoo! Inc. with building and operating a cutting-edge domain name registry and creating a unique space where customers and internet users can learn about .yahoo products and services in a targeted manner. YDS is applying for .yahoo which it will manage for Yahoo! Inc.

The .yahoo registry will be a standard registry, not community based.  Its purpose will be to:

 

  • Ensure Yahoo! remains at the forefront of innovation by keeping pace with internet technology developments in line with other leading digital media companies;
  • Protect Yahoo!’s intellectual property and ensure that the integrity of the Yahoo! brand is maintained at the highest possible level in the domain name system.  We have a portfolio of registered intellectual property rights around the world and securing the term, .yahoo, is an extension of current brand protection policies;
  • Provide a platform for the delivery of secure digital material

 

The success of the .yahoo registry will be determined by the enhancement in the equity of the Yahoo! brand and in terms of the security and stability it brings to our communications.

 

In this answer, the terms “We” and “Our” may refer to either Yahoo! Inc. or Yahoo! Domain Services Inc.

 

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

 

We believe that .yahoo will assist Yahoo! in accomplishing its mission of creating a content, communications, and community platform that delivers rich consumer experiences and advertising solutions across the screens of people’s lives — from desktops to mobile devices, from tablets to connected TVs.

 

YDS intends to commission consumer research to ascertain customer reaction to the new gTLDs and to identify the most effective and safest way to market services to consumers using the TLD. During this initial research period, we expect to use our registry for internal communications.

 

We believe that our registry will benefit the following stakeholders:

 

  • Our customers: a new .yahoo registry will benefit our customers because it will be a location for authentic, accessible information about Yahoo!. It is also important to us to maintain our position in the eyes of our customers as one of the leaders in internet innovation.
  • Our employees: a new gTLD will provide a very secure communication channel.
  • The ICANN Community: Yahoo! will play a full role in the Registry Operators constituency. Yahoo! is committed to providing insights on policy issues that may enhance ICANN’s policy development process in the areas of IP rights protection, for example.

 

What is the goal of your proposed gTLD in terms of areas of speciality, service levels, reputation?

Yahoo! prides itself on the integrity of its brand and this will be reflected in the treatment of the new gTLD. Our goal is to position Yahoo! to exploit the latest internet advances, a cornerstone of our business, and so to enhance our brand and reputation.

 

In terms of speciality, we look forward to using a single, shorter, globally applicable domain which exactly matches our brand across all the jurisdictions where we trade. A shorter domain will make it easier for customers to locate Yahoo! information more efficiently.

 

In terms of service and reputation, YDS will ensure that the registry features the same high levels of security, quality and customer service that are applied across Yahoo! services, making Yahoo! one of the most trusted brands on the internet. As pre-validated personnel from Yahoo! and its affiliates will be the only people able to register second level domains in the .yahoo registry, we hope to rise above the infringers and imitators who sometimes target us.

 

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

 

We are eager to operate a registry with distinctive, shorter domain names that are universally applicable and exactly match our brand. We feel .yahoo is an address which will differentiate us because it offers clarity by equating the domain with the brand itself, and will enable our customers to place their trust in our registry, knowing that they are accessing genuine Yahoo! content under a .yahoo domain.

 

Only Yahoo! and its affiliates will be able to register second level domain names in the .yahoo registry. We will also be differentiated through this level of control from existing TLDs because internet users will not have to worry about corruption, security, or false or inaccurate information.

 

We look forward to utilizing our new registry in conjunction with our current domains and eventually marketing under .yahoo if the new gTLD process is a success. It enables brands to leave behind complex naming hierarchies inherent in country code extensions.

 

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

 

We believe that our customers will know they are in a trusted and authentic destination once they arrive at the new .yahoo gTLD regardless of their geographic location. We want them to be confident that they will receive accurate information and that their sensitive personal details will be protected. We hope to use our TLD to support innovative new services, enriching the experience of internet users.

 

YDS will ensure that there is an online query system to assist anyone with queries about the .yahoo registry. Furthermore, we will provide and promote the details of our Abuse Point of Contact which will be available 24⁄7 and we will comply with all requests from courts, law enforcement, and governmental bodies, and any decisions⁄judgments from UDRP and URS panels. In this way, user experience will be enhanced.

 

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

 

Yahoo! Domain Services Inc (YDS) is the operator of the .yahoo registry. The YDS team is responsible for the development, maintenance and enforcement of the .yahoo Domain Management Policy. This policy defines the rules associated with eligibility and domain name allocation, sets out the terms governing the use of a .yahoo domain name and describes the dispute resolution policies for the Yahoo gTLD. This policy is intended to be updated and revised regularly to reflect Yahoo’s commercial and strategic interests and, where appropriate, ICANN consensus policies and the adoption of new gTLDs by internet users.

Registration of a .yahoo domain name will be undertaken in four steps: Eligibility Confirmation, Naming Convention Check, Acceptable Use Review, and finally Registration. All domains in the .yahoo registry will remain the property of Yahoo.

Only Yahoo! and its Affiliates will be able to register second level domain names in the .yahoo registry.

Users of .yahoo names must utilize their domains solely for purposes that enhance Yahoo’s strategic or commercial interests. Domains within .yahoo may not be used in a way which knowingly infringes any third party intellectual property rights.

.yahoo domains may not be delegated or assigned to external organizations, institutions, or individuals.

All .yahoo domains will carry accurate and up to date registration records which have been validated. The .yahoo Whois will be accurate.

The Yahoo! Domain Name Management Team may revoke a .yahoo domain name at any time in line with Yahoo’s corporate and strategic interests.

Internationalized domain names (IDN) may be supported in the .yahoo registry at the second level.

Each applied for A-label character string must conform to the .yahoo rules of eligibility. Each .yahoo name must:

 

  • Be at least 1 character and no more than 63 characters long;
  • Not contain a hyphen on the 3rd and 4th position (except for IDNs);
  • Contain only letters (a-z), numbers (0-9) and hyphens or a combination of these;
  • Start and end with an alphanumeric character, not a hyphen;
  • Not match any character strings reserved by ICANN;
  • Not match any protected country names or geographical terms; and
  • Not be an obscene or offensive term.

The .yahoo registry will be ICANN compliant: the registry will interface with the Trademark Clearinghouse, operate a Sunrise and IP Claims and all registrants must comply with the UDRP and the URS. There will be Thick Whois. Yahoo Domain Services will co-operate with any complaints under the PDDRP. YDS and the .yahoo registry will be responsive to legal rights owners.

 

Will your proposed gTLD impose any measures for protecting the privacy of confidential information of registrants or users?

 

As an international digital media company, the protection of a wide range of customer and employee data is of utmost importance to us and we take our responsibility to protect confidential information very seriously. See our privacy policy at http:⁄⁄info.yahoo.com⁄privacy⁄us⁄yahoo⁄details.html

 

The .yahoo registry will continue our policy of protecting confidential information. We will comply with the Personal Data obligations of the ICANN Registry Agreement. As required, approved personnel will be registered as data handlers and trained to ensure compliance with ICANN’s requirements. We will:

 

  • Document policies and procedures including an escalation process;
  • Use appropriate levels of encryption and physical security;
  • Train key staff and ensure responsibilities are understood and documented in rules of conduct;
  • Limit access to records only to those employees or service providers who need access for the performance of their job duties;
  • Regularly test implemented procedures;
  • Monitor best practices and ICANN’s mandated and recommended policies
  • Audit the work of providers including the Escrow provider; and
  • Report any attempts to gain unauthorised access to appropriate enforcement authorities as required by law.

 

Describe whether and in what ways outreach and communications will help to achieve your projected benefits?

Only Yahoo! and its Affiliates will be able to register second level domain names in the .yahoo registry. YDS will produce and publish guidelines internally to provide clarity on who can request a .yahoo domain and these will also define acceptable use. A home page for the .yahoo registry will be created using straightforward messaging so that our policies are understood.

In time, as the new gTLDs are accepted by internet users, we may create and implement a marketing campaign to inform the public about the .yahoo TLD and the information and services available there. This campaign could include carefully targeted Below The Line activities including Direct Marketing to reach our customers and inform them of our new gTLD and how it can be trusted.

 

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?

 

As previously stated, the .yahoo registry will be closed to third parties beyond Yahoo! and its Affiliates.  Social costs and negative consequences on consumers will most likely be eliminated and, at a minimum, significantly mitigated.

 

How will multiple applications for a particular domain be resolved, for example, by auction or on a first come first served basis?

 

There will be no market for .yahoo domains. Domains will only be provisioned to validated Yahoo! personnel and Yahoo! affiliates. We do not have plans to allow .yahoo domains to be sold on the retail market and our policies will not allow them to be assigned. Therefore we do not anticipate receiving multiple applications for a particular domain.  This should obviate the need for any resolution.

 

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

 

Domains in the .yahoo registry are intended to support Yahoo’s business goals. Our registry is not being designed as a profit center. The question of cost benefits is therefore irrelevant in this instance.

 

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 10 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?

Third parties such as members of the public will not be eligible to register in the .yahoo registry.  Our policies will prohibit the sale or assignment of .yahoo domains to third parties. Without any market for .yahoo domains, there is no need to make commitments in terms of price although we will, of course, comply with the provisions of Section 2.10 of the Registry Agreement and any other applicable ICANN consensus policies.

 

Before launching the .yahoo TLD, YDS will develop and publish its policies and guidelines, setting out full details of how the registry will implement its vision and purpose as set out in this answer. YDS, on behalf of Yahoo! Inc, may adapt its policies and proposed use of the gTLD, in a manner consistent with the purpose, to reflect changes in its business and the adoption of new gTLDs by the community.