.HONEYWELL New gTLD Application

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New gTLD Application Submitted to ICANN by: Honeywell GTLD LLC

String: HONEYWELL

Originally Posted: 13 June 2012

Application ID: 1-1517-81574

 

Applicant Information

 

  1. Full legal name

Honeywell GTLD LLC

 

  1. Address of the principal place of business

c⁄o Honeywell International, Inc.

101 Columbia Road

Morristown  07962

US

 

  1. Phone number

+1 973 455 2000

 

  1. Fax number

+1 973 455 5904

 

  1. If applicable, website or URL

 

Primary Contact

 

6(a). Name

Mr. Joshua Bourne

 

6(b). Title

Managing Partner

 

6(c). Address

 

6(d). Phone Number

+1 202 223 9252

 

6(e). Fax Number

 

6(f). Email Address

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

 

Secondary Contact

 

7(a). Name

Mr. David Cohen

 

7(b). Title

Assistant General Counsel & Chief Trademark Counsel

 

7(c). Address

 

7(d). Phone Number

+1 973 455 5686

 

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

Limited Liability Company

 

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.

 

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

 

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

David A. Cohen Manager and Assistant Secretary

David Hoiriis Manager

Jacqueline Katzel Assistant Secretary

John J. Tus President and Treasurer

Paul H. Brownstein Assistant Vice President – Taxes

Thomas Buckmaster Manager

 

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

Honeywell International, 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.

HONEYWELL

 

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.

 

  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.

Mitigation

Honeywell GTLD LLC foresees no known rendering issues in connection with the proposed .HONEYWELL gTLD for which it is applying. This answer is based upon consultation with Honeywell GTLD LLC’s selected back-end provider, Neustar, which has successfully launched a number of new gTLDs over the last decade. 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.

 

  1. (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.

18.1 Mission and Purpose of .HONEYWELL

 

Honeywell is a major international conglomerate with more than 130,000 employees worldwide producing a variety of consumer products, engineering services, and aerospace systems for customers ranging from private individuals to governments and corporation.

Honeywell gTLD, L.L.C.’s parent company, Honeywell International, Inc., (ʺHoneywellʺ) is a diversified technology and manufacturing company with products and services offered through the following business segments:

 

HONEYWELL AEROSPACE: Honeywell Aerospace provides critical aircraft components such as auxiliary power units, engine systems and accessories, avionic systems, and logistical management and overhaul services.

 

HONEYWELL AUTOMATION & CONTROL SOLUTIONS: Honeywell’s Automation and Control Solutions division offers products such as environmental controls, personal protective equipment, security and life safety products, process automation products, and building solutions⁄services for homes and businesses.

 

HONEYWELL PERFORMANCE MATERIALS AND TECHNOLOGIES: This division’s product and services include nuclear services, chemicals, fibers and composites, technology and equipment for petroleum refining, semiconductor material services, and catalysts among others.

 

HONEYWELL TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS: Honeywell’s Transportation Systems division offers products for vehicles such as engine boosting systems and turbochargers, friction materials and functional fluids.

 

Some of Honeywell’s most noteworthy products include the iconic “Round” thermostat that has become a fixture of offices and homes around the world as well as the first electronic autopilot for aircraft.

 

Recognizing the potential dynamic evolution of a .HONEYWELL gTLD as a trusted, branded namespace, Honeywell has decided to create a wholly owned subsidiary, Honeywell gTLD, L.L.C., as the entity to file this application and bring the .HONEYWELL gTLD to market.

 

The intended future mission and purpose of the .HONEYWELL gTLD is to serve as a trusted, hierarchical, and intuitive namespace provided by Honeywell and its qualified subsidiaries and affiliates, for Honeywell customers and Internet users in general.

 

Although ICANN has not specifically recognized a .BRAND gTLD specification in the current gTLD application round, it is widely anticipated in the brand owner community that this will become a specialty subset of gTLDs. .HONEYWELL is intended to be one of those .BRAND gTLDs, with the goal of protecting Honeywell’s online presence and identity, expanding its marketing and promotion efforts, providing a secure channel for online products and services, and offering a platform through which to consolidate many of the intellectual property activities of Honeywell.

 

Honeywell gTLD, L.L.C. intends to initially limit registration and use of domain names within the .HONEYWELL gTLD to Honeywell and its qualified subsidiaries and affiliates. This initial limited use will allow Honeywell to establish its operations and achieve full sustainability. This limited distribution, coupled with the other requirements set forth in Specification 9 of the template Registry Agreement, is intended to exempt Honeywell from its annual Code of Conduct Compliance requirements.

 

After Stage 3, Honeywell will evaluate whether opportunities exist to carry out the business strategy for the .HONEYWELL gTLD through expansion that continues the sustainable operations of the registry through fee-based registrations to parties other than Honeywell and its qualified subsidiaries and affiliates.

 

Honeywell gTLD, L.L.C. currently plans a four-stage rollout for the .HONEYWELL gTLD:

 

  1. Stage One

The initial stage of implementation of the gTLD will involve Honeywell GTLD LLC registering a limited number of .HONEYWELL second-level domain names.

 

This initial use will provide Honeywell’s IT and security personnel the time to run a number of tests to ensure seamless and secure access using the .HONEYWELL gTLD domain names, interoperability with various software and Web-based applications, and unbroken and secure use of all names. This initial allocation will also allow the appropriate Honeywell staff to coordinate with the internal and external staff responsible for the delegation and setup phases of the .HONEYWELL gTLD to ensure a proper transition from delegation to full operation.

 

  1. Stage Two

Once all testing has been successfully completed, Honeywell GTLD LLC will begin allocating domain names in .HONEYWELL for more widespread internal corporate use. During this same period of time, Honeywell will begin evaluating strategies to potentially migrate traffic away from its current patchwork network of second-level domain names, which are registered in a variety of gTLDs, to .HONEYWELL.

 

It is in Stage Two that Honeywell GTLD LLC will evaluate expanding the operations of the .HONEYWELL gTLD to permit registration by other registrants such as licensees or other strategic partners. Should an assessment of its expansion strategy lead to a decision to extend registration rights to other parties, this expansion is currently planned to take place during Stage Three, and likely after the first three years of operation. However, any expansion would be conditioned upon a review of Specification 9 (Registry Code of Conduct) set forth in the template Registry Agreement to ensure compliance with Honeywell GTLD LLC’s business model.

 

  1. Stage Three

Depending upon the analysis of the evaluations undertaken in Stage Two, Honeywell GTLD LLC may begin to implement the permanent migration of Internet traffic away from the gTLDs in which Honeywell’s domain names are currently registered, and toward the new .HONEYWELL gTLD. It is in this stage that Honeywell GTLD LLC. also may implement its decision to extend registration rights to Honeywell licensees or strategic partners, depending upon compliance with Specification 9 as noted above. The dates of such expansion are subject to change depending upon business, strategic, and industry factors at the time.

 

After consideration of the following factors: analysis of Honeywell’s existing domain name portfolio; internal analysis of marketing initiatives; and the fact that Honeywell will have full control over the number of registrations in the .HONEYWELL gTLD namespace, Honeywell GTLD LLC is confident that the number of domain name registrations will be less than 10,000 in the first five years of operation.

 

  1. Stage Four

Based on its experience with any expansion implemented in Stage Three, Honeywell GTLD LLC will assess whether its business plan and expansion strategy should be augmented by extending registration rights to a broader class of licensees, including potential customers of Honeywell. It is anticipated by Honeywell that changes to the domain name industry, and particularly the impact of .BRAND gTLDs, will take at least five years to be realized and assessed.

 

Any decision to expand the gTLDs beyond corporate, qualified subsidiary and affiliate, and licensee use will take into account this experience as well as the technical analysis of potential expansion.

 

The potential use of the .HONEYWELL gTLD by these or other business segments will primarily be driven by Honeywell’s future business strategies as identified in its annual report and investor filings, http:⁄⁄investor.honeywell.com⁄phoenix.zhtml?c=94774&p=irol-irhome.

 

Utilizing current projections based upon Honeywellʹs existing businesses, future business plans, current domain name portfolio, and other strategic factors, Honeywell GTLD LLC estimates that second-level domain name registrations will be in line with the projections set forth in the Financial Template provided in the answer to Question 46 of this application.

 

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

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

 

Honeywell gTLD, L.L.C. believes that the proposed .HONEYWELL gTLD has the potential to offer the following numerous benefits to Internet users and Honeywell customers:

 

-Establish a trusted online marketplace for the hundreds of thousands of customers⁄consumers using Honeywell’s online resources and investors and third parties seeking information, and the general Internet user population.

 

-Provide Honeywell, its qualified subsidiaries and affiliates, and potentially its partners and licensees with short and memorable Internet addresses and increased navigation to information about Honeywell properties and services.

 

-Minimize the cost and need for defensive registrations because domain names will only be allocated by Honeywell gTLD, L.L.C. within the .HONEYWELL gTLD to the company’s parent, Honeywell, as well as qualified subsidiaries and affiliates and potentially Honeywell partners and licensees; and

 

-Develop a potential platform for the secure access to, and research, purchase, and distribution of, Honeywell content, services, and information to customers, in order to minimize the potential for phishing, pharming, or other harmful online content.

 

-Through the adoption of new gTLDs by the wider Internet user community, consumers may benefit from a lower incidence of phishing and malware often associated with mistypes of domain names in the .COM space that are owned by cybersquatters, since consumers will be navigating to domain names in the .HONEYWELL gTLD;

 

Currently, Honeywell operates a number of corporate websites using a combination of second-level and top-level domain names. A representative sampling of Honeywell websites that incorporate geographical identifiers into domain names include:

 

-Honeywell.com.au

-Honeywell.com.br

-Honeywell.com.cn

-Honeywell.fr

 

Honeywell believes that a .HONEYWELL gTLD can provide a single, online source identifying function for its global customers, instead of the current mix-and-match approach that Honeywell is currently forced to resort to as it expands into different markets around the world.

 

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

 

The primary mission and purpose of the .HONEYWELL gTLD is to provide a trusted, hierarchical, and intuitive online marketplace in which to aggregate Honeywell content and other offers and services. As the technology for delivering such content and services evolves, Honeywell has continued to pursue and expand upon new opportunities to distribute content to customers, in the U.S. and internationally, on a variety of platforms, including the Internet and mobile devices among others. Honeywell believes that the .HONEYWELL gTLD has the potential to provide an innovative, virtual avenue that will deepen and broaden its relationship with online audiences.

 

Most importantly, Honeywell will be able to provide access to its products and online content in a namespace void of piracy, cybersquatting, and other malicious activities. Providing customers with a trusted experience is paramount to Honeywell gTLD, L.L.C. and its parent company, Honeywell and the .HONEYWELL gTLD would be used to further that goal. Given the highly technical and regulated nature of Honeywell’s industry, as well as that of its customers, the .HONEYWELL space will help provide a reliable, trusted space for the distribution of  information to customers.

 

While companies such as Honeywell fight a never-ending battle to protect their valuable intellectual property from piracy on the Internet, the .HONEYWELL gTLD would potentially offer customers a safe and intuitive means of accessing authorized content from Honeywell and its affiliates.

 

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

 

As a branded gTLD, the primary driving factors behind .HONEYWELL are differentiation and innovation. The success of .HONEYWELL will not be measured by the number of domain names registered. Instead, it will be measured by the level of consumer recognition and trust that is placed in the gTLD.

 

Using this benchmark, Honeywell gTLD, L.L.C. will strive to build consumer recognition and trust that rise to the level of that found in the .EDU and .GOV gTLDs.

 

As noted above, Honeywell gTLD, L.L.C. is a subsidiary of Honeywell, a leading international conglomerate that leverages emerging technologies to deliver products and services to its customers on an international scale. The .HONEYWELL gTLD has the potential to serve as a cornerstone of this online strategy, if the potential benefits that ICANN has projected become a reality.

 

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

 

Honeywell gTLD, L.L.C. believes that the .HONEYWELL gTLD will provide a single, trusted eco-system experience for the millions of customers worldwide that use its products and services. In addition to providing customers with short, memorable, and intuitive domain names, Honeywell gTLD, L.L.C. will minimize potential infringing or pirated content within the .HONEYWELL gTLD.

 

The initial use of the .HONEYWELL gTLD will involve Honeywell gTLD, L.L.C. registering a conservative number of second-level domain names. This initial use will provide Honeywell’s IT and security personnel the ability to run a number of tests to ensure seamless and secure access to the Honeywell website, and interoperability with various software and Web⁄mobile-based applications. Once appropriate security and stability issues have been satisfactorily addressed, Honeywell plans to begin allocating domain names for internal corporate use and may redirect new .HONEYWELL domain names to pre-existing content. This phased rollout will likely take place over a multi-year period, but is subject to change depending upon a range of external factors, and will be in-line with Honeywell’s marketing strategy and technology needs.

 

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

 

The .HONEYWELL gTLD is currently intended to be exclusively used by Honeywell and its qualified subsidiaries and affiliates. Because of this condition precedent, any registration and use requirements are more appropriately vested in these subsidiary⁄affiliate agreements and not in a domain name registration agreement.

 

While Honeywell is fully supportive of, and committed to, ICANN’s bottom-up consensus-driven model, the Honeywell mark is a valuable brand, the protection of which is of paramount importance; therefore, any registration and use requirements (e.g., trademark quality control provisions) must vest in these other agreements.

 

Notwithstanding these concerns, Honeywell gTLD, L.L.C. will incorporate all required ICANN consensus policies and other legal⁄policy requirements imposed on new gTLD applicants into the terms and conditions of the domain name registration agreement that each qualified subsidiary and affiliate will execute.

 

18.2.5 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.

 

Honeywell recognizes first hand that this is an evolving area of law in which there are no international standards. As a global manufacturing company, Honeywell respects the privacy of its customers and other consumers. The company employs a variety of physical, electronic, contractual, and managerial safeguards to protect personal and confidential information on its websites. Honeywell gTLD, L.L.C. will take similar precautions to protect registrant and user data associated with the .HONEYWELL gTLD. Furthermore, given that every domain name will be registered to Honeywell or potentially a qualified subsidiary⁄affiliate, Honeywell gTLD, L.L.C. has a vested interest in ensuring that accurate and current registrant information is readily available in connection with each .HONEYWELL domain name.

 

Honeywell will ensure that the operation of the .HONEYWELL gTLD will be consistent with Honeywell’s Statement of Privacy Principles, http:⁄⁄honeywell.com⁄privacy⁄pages⁄en.aspx.

 

In addition, Honeywell gTLD, L.L.C. intends to incorporate contractual language in its Registry-Registrar Agreement (RRA) modeled after language which has been included in the template Registry Agreement and which has been successful utilized by existing ICANN gTLD Registry Operators.

 

The template Registry Agreement states “Registry Operator shall (i) notify each ICANN-accredited registrar that is a party to the registry-registrar agreement for the TLD of the purposes for which data about any identified or identifiable natural person (“Personal Data”) submitted to Registry Operator by such registrar is collected and used under this Agreement or otherwise and the intended recipients (or categories of recipients) of such Personal Data, and (ii) require such registrar to obtain the consent of each registrant in the TLD for such collection and use of Personal Data. Registry Operator shall take reasonable steps to protect Personal Data collected from such registrar from loss, misuse, unauthorized disclosure, alteration or destruction. Registry Operator shall not use or authorize the use of Personal Data in a way that is incompatible with the notice provided to registrars.ʺ

 

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

 

Honeywell sees the potential for this gTLD to serve as a component of Honeywell’s future online strategic initiative. Given the unanswered questions concerning consumer recognition and adoption of new gTLDs in the marketplace, Honeywell gTLD, L.L.C. anticipates a phased-in approach to using and promoting the .HONEYWELL gTLD.

 

Honeywell plans to start using these domain names primarily as redirects to existing .COM domains. After careful analysis and study of a targeted pilot rollout using the new .HONEYWELL domains as addresses, Honeywell gTLD, L.L.C. may plan to engage in a broader, strategic initiative should the results be positive. The actual usage of .HONEYWELL domain names will dictate what public communications and consumer outreach may be done to encourage navigation to the .HONEYWELL gTLD. This is not limited to, but may include advertising, media outreach, and email campaigns.

 

18(c). What operating rules will you adopt to eliminate or minimize social costs?

18.3.1 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)?

 

Honeywell gTLD, L.L.C.ʹs proposed operating rules to initially limit registration to Honeywell and its qualified partners and affiliates will provide a secure online environment for customers of Honeywell and consumers and Internet users searching for Honeywell content and other information and services.

 

Trademark and brand ownersʹ costs will be mitigated, since there will be no need to defensively register second-level domains in .HONEYWELL. In addition, this verified eco-system will provide customers with a single, trusted source for Honeywell content with a substantially lower risk of exposure to phishing, fraud and⁄or other Internet scams, thus reducing the level of consumer vulnerability.

 

18.3.2 What other steps will you take to minimize negative consequences⁄costs imposed upon customers?

 

Honeywell gTLD, L.L.C. believes that the proposed operation of the .HONEYWELL gTLD as set forth in this application has no known negative consequences or cost implications to customers. On the contrary, the proposed operation of this registry will likely lead to direct and quantifiable benefits to customers.

 

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

 

Honeywell gTLD, L.L.C. does not envision multiple applicants for the same domain name, as domain names will initially only be allocated to Honeywell and its qualified subsidiaries and affiliates.

 

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

 

Honeywell gTLD, L.L.C. does not envision any pricing, introductory discounts, or bulk registration discounts because these marketing⁄commercial initiatives are inconsistent with the mission and purpose of the .HONEYWELL gTLD as a trusted online source identifier for  Honeywell gTLD, L.L.C., and potentially its qualified subsidiaries and affiliates. Moreover, it is the current intention of Honeywell to have Honeywell gTLD, L.L.C. provide domain name registrations at no cost, at least for the first five years of operation, though the company reserves the right to re-evaluate this decision and may choose to impose a nominal fee in the future. Any potential registrant fees imposed upon licensees and strategic partners will be made in the future if this class of registrants are permitted to register domain names in the .HONEYWELL gTLD.

 

18.3.5 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.

 

Honeywell gTLD, L.L.C. is committed to providing the domain name registration periods set forth in the Registry Agreement. However, as noted above, the registration and use of a .HONEYWELL domain name will be conditional upon a separate subsidiary⁄affiliate relationship with Honeywell.

 

Therefore, providing contractual commitments in a domain name registrant agreement regarding the magnitude of price escalations does not seem relevant or appropriate. Additionally, as noted above, the current business model envisions Honeywell gTLD, L.L.C. providing domain name registrations at no cost.

 

Honeywell gTLD, L.L.C. acknowledges that the current template Registry Agreement requires that the Registry Operator “shall offer registrars the option to obtain registration periods for one to ten years at the discretion of the registrar.” However, Honeywell as the sole registrant within the .HONEYWELL gTLD will only be registering domain names on an annual basis.