.cbre New gTLD Application
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New gTLD Application Submitted to ICANN by: CBRE, Inc.
Application Downloaded On: 13 Jan 2015
String: cbre
Application ID: 1-2116-80094
Applicant Information
- Full legal name
CBRE, Inc.
- Address of the principal place of business
400 S. Hope Street, 25th Floor, Los Angeles, CA - 90071 US
- Phone number
+1 212 984 6515
- Fax number
- If applicable, website or URL
http://www.cbre.com
Primary Contact
6(a). Name
Jeffrey DeFord
6(b). Title
VP, Information Technology
6(c). Address
6(d). Phone Number
(214) 438-4726
6(e). Fax Number
6(f). Email Address
Secondary Contact
7(a). Name
John Gideon
7(b). Title
Director, Info Technology
7(c). Address
7(d). Phone Number
(214) 438-8972
7(e). Fax Number
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).
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
Name
Position
Gil Borok EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, DEPUTY CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER AND CHIEF ACCOUNTING OFFICER
Laurence Howard Midler EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, GENERAL COUNSEL AND SECRETARY
11(b). Name(s) and position(s) of all officers and partners
Name
Position
Calvin Warren Frese Jr. CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, AMERICAS
Gil Borok EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, DEPUTY CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER AND CHIEF ACCOUNTING OFFICER
James Christopher Kirk EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT AND CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER
James R. Groch CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER AND GLOBAL DIRECTOR OF CORPORATE DEVELOPMENT
Laurence Howard Midler EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, GENERAL COUNSEL AND SECRETARY
Michael James Lafitte CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER
Robert Edward Sulentic PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
Steven Alan Swerdlow CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER, AMERICAS AND PRESIDENT, WESTERN DIVISION, CANADA AND LATIN AMERICA
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.
cbre
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.
CBRE, Inc., an operating company and indirect wholly-owned U.S. subsidiary of CBRE Group, Inc., will be filing this application with ICANN. For the remainder of this application, CBRE, Inc. and CBRE Group, Inc. will collectively be referred to as ʺCBREʺ unless otherwise noted.
CBRE foresees no known rendering issues in connection with the proposed .CBRE string which it is seeking to apply for as a gTLD.
Unfortunately, there are still certain Internet and software applications that ʺhard codeʺ TLD lists rather than referring to the IANA list of TLDs. To the extent that CBRE becomes aware of applications that do in fact hard code, it is committed to working with the application developers to rectify such issues and with the ICANN communityʹs outreach effort to address the Universal Acceptance of TLDs. This answer is based upon consultation with CBREʹs 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:
- ICANNʹs Security Stability Advisory Committee (SSAC) entitled Alternative TLD Name Systems and Roots: Conflict, Control and Consequences (SAC009);
-IAB - RFC3696 ʺApplication Techniques for Checking and Transformation of Namesʺ
-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
-ICANNʹs presentation during its Costa Rica regional meeting on TLD Universal Acceptance.
- 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 content of this Answer to Question 18 describing the plans for CBRE, Inc.ʹs registry constitutes the ʺpurposeʺ of the registry as that term is used in paragraph 1.b. of Specification 9 of the Draft New gTLD Registry Agreement found in Module 5 of the Applicant Guidebook dated January 11, 2012 (the ʺPurposeʺ). CBRE, Inc., an indirect wholly-owned U.S. subsidiary of CBRE Group, Inc., will be filing this application with ICANN. For the remainder of this application, CBRE, Inc. and CBRE Group, Inc. will collectively be referred to as ʺCBREʺ unless otherwise noted. CBRE, Inc. will publish its Charter and its policies, guidelines, and other supporting documentation related to the implementation of the registry consistent with the Purpose, all prior to launch. All second level domain names registered by CBRE, Inc. on behalf of itself or an affiliate will be registered through an ICANN-accredited registrar and will be consistent with the Purpose.
The registry will be a standard, not a community-based, registry restricted to CBRE and its qualified subsidiaries, affiliates or business partners having the Required License (as defined below). The registry will be closed to registrants who do not have a formal, written trademark license agreement with CBRE and⁄or affiliate(s) which own the CBRE mark, specifically allowing the registration of a second level domain name in the registry (the ʺRequired Licenseʺ). There will be no market for second level registrations outside of registrants which are affiliated with CBRE and⁄or which have the Required License.
CBRE Group, Inc. (ʺCBRE Groupʺ), a publicly traded Fortune 500 and S&P 500 company listed on the NYSE (under the symbol CBG), is the worldʹs largest commercial real estate services firm, based on 2011 revenue, with leading full-service operations in major metropolitan areas throughout the world. CBRE Group offers a full range of services to occupiers, owners, lenders and investors in office, retail, industrial, multi-family and other types of commercial real estate. As of December 31, 2011, CBRE Group employed approximately 34,000 employees in more than 300 offices worldwide (excluding affiliate employees and offices), providing a range of commercial real estate services under the ʺCBREʺ brand name, investment management services under the ʺCBRE Global Investorsʺ brand name and development services under the ʺTrammell Crowʺ brand name.
Most of CBRE Groupʹs operations are conducted through CBRE, Inc. or subsidiaries of CBRE, Inc. CBRE is analyzing potential use case options on the type of domain names that will be permitted to be registered and by whom. Until an extensive discussion about the potential use cases can be undertaken across all CBRE business units, CBRE has opted for Neustarʹs Brand Assurance Program that will permit CBRE to scale operations based upon specific implementation plans to be determined by CBRE.
18.1.2 Mission and Purpose
CBRE, Inc. intends to submit one gTLD application for the string .CBRE which it then intends to operate as a closed registry consistent with the Purpose. CBRE, Inc. will be funding this new gTLD initiative, but CBRE Group will provide a letter of commitment to ICANN ensuring payment of all CBRE, Inc.ʹs obligations during the term of CBRE, Inc.ʹs Registry Agreement with ICANN. The intended mission and Purpose of the .CBRE gTLD is to serve as a trusted and intuitive namespace for the benefit of CBRE Group and its qualified subsidiariesʹ and affiliatesʹ clients, potential clients and other Internet users, that will deepen and broaden these entitiesʹ relationships with those audiences in connection with the commercial real estate services CBRE provides.
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 the gTLDs. .CBRE is intended to be one of those .BRAND gTLDs, with the goal of protecting CBREʹs online presence and identity, expanding its marketing and promotion efforts, providing a secure channel for online content and services, and offering a platform through which to consolidate many of the intellectual property activities of CBRE.
CBRE, Inc. intends to limit registration and use of domain names within the .CBRE gTLD to CBRE Group and its qualified subsidiaries, affiliates, and business units. This limited use coupled with the other requirements set forth in Specification 9 of the template Registry Agreement is intended to exempt CBRE, Inc. from any annual Code of Conduct Compliance requirements.
Although there are no current plans to do so, CBRE may consider opening up second level registrations to select third parties having the Required License.
CBRE currently plans a four-stage rollout for the .CBRE gTLD:
- Stage 1
The initial stage of implementation of the gTLD will involve CBRE registering two .CBRE second-level domain names. This initial use will provide CBREʹs IT and security personnel the time to run a number of tests to ensure seamless and secure access using the .CBRE gTLD domain names, interoperability with software and Web-based applications, and unbroken and secure use of all names. This initial allocation will also allow coordination with the internal and external staff responsible for the delegation and setup phases of the .CBRE gTLD to ensure a proper transition from delegation to full operation.
- Stage 2
Once all testing has been successfully completed, CBRE will begin allocating domain names in the .CBRE gTLD for more widespread corporate use. During this same time period, CBRE will begin evaluating strategies to potentially migrate traffic away from its current network of second-level domain names, which are registered in a variety of TLDs, to CBREʹs new gTLD.
In Stage 2 CBRE may evaluate expanding the operations of the .CBRE gTLD during Stage 3 to permit registration by other registrants having the Required License. However, any expansion would be conditioned upon a review of Specification 9 set forth in the template Registry Agreement to ensure compliance with CBREʹs business model.
- Stage 3
Depending on the evaluations undertaken in Stage 2, CBRE may implement the permanent migration of Internet traffic away from the TLDs in which CBREʹs domain names are currently registered, and toward the new CBRE, Inc. gTLD. It is in this stage that CBRE may extend registration rights to those having the Required License depending upon compliance with Specification 9. Any such expansion to third parties might never happen and therefore all timeframes are subject to change.
After consideration of the following factors: analysis of CBREʹs existing domain name portfolio; internal analysis of marketing initiatives; and the fact that CBRE will have full control over the number of registrations in the .CBRE gTLD namespace, CBRE is confident that the number of domain name registrations will be less than 10,000 in the first five years of operation.
- Stage 4
Based on their experiences with any expansion implemented in Stage 3, CBRE will assess whether their business plan and expansion strategy should be augmented by extending registration rights to a broader class of licensees. It is anticipated by CBRE that 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⁄affiliate⁄business unit, and licensees use will take into account this experience as well as a technical analysis of potential expansion.
Utilizing current projections based upon CBREʹs existing and future business plans, current domain name portfolio, and other strategic factors, CBRE estimates initially there will be no more than two second-level domain name registrations per the terms of Neustarʹs Brand Assurance.
18B. How do you expect that your proposed gTLD will benefit registrants, Internet users, and others?
Given that many commercial real estate owners and occupiers search for and use CBRE Group and its subsidiariesʹ content online, CBRE believes that the proposed .CBRE gTLD has the potential to offer the following benefits to Internet users and consumers:
-Provide a trusted online information source for the millions of commercial real estate owners and occupiers and other clients that use CBREʹs services;
-Provide CBRE Group and its subsidiaries, affiliates, and business units with the use of short and memorable Internet addresses in order to facilitate increased ease for navigation to CBRE online content and other services;
-Minimize the need for defensive registrations because domain names within the .CBRE gTLD will only be registered by CBRE, Inc. to verified CBRE administrators and qualified subsidiaries, affiliates, and business units of CBRE Group;
-Serve as a secure platform for CBRE online commercial real estate services operations; and
-Incorporate enhanced intellectual property rights (IPR) protection mechanisms.
Also, through the adoption of new gTLDs by the wider Internet user community, consumers at large may benefit from lower incidents of fraud, misdirection, infringement, phishing, malware, or other scams often associated with mistypes of domain names in the .COM space that are owned by cybersquatters and CBRE believes this will be the case for its clients, potential clients and other users, since they will be navigating to domain names in the .CBRE gTLD.
CBRE Group has over 300 offices located worldwide (excluding affiliate offices). As such, CBRE would like to provide a hierarchical and intuitive framework for the .CBRE namespace by using permitted geographical and business line identifiers as second-level domain names. This use of geographical [or business line] identifiers to the left of the gTLD and as part of the domain name itself is believed to have a direct and material impact on search engine algorithms and their corresponding query results. CBRE would like to see if this type of hierarchical and intuitive use of second-level domain names within a gTLD provides increased functionality and innovation.
18.2.1 What is the goal of your proposed gTLD in terms of areas of specialty, service levels, or reputation?
CBRE, Inc. has filed this application for a .CBRE gTLD in order to provide a secure, trusted, virtual platform to aggregate CBREʹs various commercial real estate services, all consistent with the Purpose. As an operating company with a significant revenue stream in the many billions of dollars, CBRE, Inc. has the financial capability to run a registry and comply with ICANN requirements. Even so, CBRE Group has provided ICANN with a letter setting forth its commitment to ensuring payment of CBRE, Inc.ʹs financial obligations associated with the .CBRE gTLD. As technologies for delivering content and services evolve, CBRE will pursue opportunities to deliver its content and services on a global basis on various platforms, including the Internet and mobile devices. As noted above, CBRE intends to use the .CBRE gTLD as an intuitive means to offer its content and to deepen and broaden its relationship with clients, potential clients, and Internet users in general.
Most importantly, the CBRE content and services will be provided in an online namespace having a significantly lower risk of fraud, misdirection, infringement, phishing, malware, and other scams than other open gTLDs. While CBRE fights to safeguard its employees and clients from fraud and cyber attacks, it could use the .CBRE gTLD to offer to clients a safer and more intuitive means of accessing authorized content from CBRE Group and its qualified subsidiaries, affiliates, and business units.
With regard to service level and reputation, CBRE will operate the .CBRE gTLD in accordance with the corporate values upon which it was built: Respect; Integrity; Service; and Excellence. In 2011, CBRE was the highest ranked commercial real estate services company among the Fortune Most Admired Companies, and achieved the highest brand reputation ranking among all commercial real estate companies in a survey of Wall Street Journal subscribers. CBRE believes the .CBRE gTLD will help protect this reputation.
18.2.2 What do you anticipate your proposed gTLD will add to the current space, in terms of competition, differentiation, or innovation?
Two of the factors driving CBRE to seek the branded .CBRE gTLD are differentiation and innovation. CBRE Group is the worldʹs largest commercial real estate services firm, based on 2011 revenue, and it uses existing technology and leverages emerging technologies to deliver content and services to its clients and potential clients. A .CBRE gTLD has the potential to serve as a cornerstone of this online strategy and may truly differentiate CBRE from its competition.
While some of ICANNʹs new gTLDs have previously been the subject of claims regarding increased spam and phishing activities, .CBRE from its launch will be a trusted online source of CBRE information and services. CBRE Group and CBRE, Inc. follow established good business practices.
CBRE, Inc. believes that the success of the gTLD will not be measured by the number of domain names registered, but rather by the level of recognition and trust that is placed in the .CBRE gTLD. Using this benchmark, CBRE strives to build recognition and trust that rise to the level of that found in the .EDU and .GOV gTLDs.
18.2.3 What goals does your proposed gTLD have in terms of user experience?
In addition to providing a trusted ecosystem experience for its clients who use its content and services, CBRE will minimize potential fraud, misdirection, infringement, phishing, malware, and other scams because CBRE plans that domains will only be registered to CBRE Group and its qualified subsidiaries, affiliates, and business units or those having the Required License.. As a leading commercial real estate services company, CBRE believes that it can be a pioneer in bringing innovation in client choice to this new Internet medium.
18.2.4 Provide a complete description of the applicantʹs intended registration policies in support of the goals listed above.
CBRE is fully committed to implementing all of ICANNʹs consensus policies and other Rights Protection Mechanisms (RPMs) identified in the Applicant Guidebook. Moreover, based upon CBREʹs commitment and established track record in providing a safe ecosystem for consumers, CBRE intends to provide meaningful safeguards that will evolve over time.
Because the domains within the .CBRE gTLD are currently intended to be registered exclusively to CBRE Group and its qualified subsidiaries, affiliates, and business units, any registration and use requirements are more appropriately vested in the corporate-subsidiary and corporate-affiliate agreements, or corporate policies and practices, and not in a domain name registration agreement. Should select third parties be allowed at some future point to register second level domain names, each must have the Required License within which registration and use requirements will be set forth.
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.
As a leading commercial real estate services company, with an extensive global online presence, CBRE has a vested interest in making sure that accurate and current WHOIS information is readily available in connection with each .CBRE domain name. For the .CBRE gTLD, all private and confidential information will be protected.
CBRE Inc. will ensure that the operation of the .CBRE gTLD will be consistent with applicable laws and regulations as interpreted and applied.
In addition, CBRE, Inc. intends to incorporate contractual language in its Registry-Registrar Agreement (RRA) modeled after language that has been included in the template Registry Agreement and that has been successfully utilized by existing ICANN gTLD Registry Operators.
The template Registry Agreement states, ʺRegistry 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 (ʺPersonal Dataʺ) 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.
CBRE sees the potential for the .CBRE gTLD to play a meaningful role in the companyʹs future online strategy. While the extent of likely benefits is currently uncertain due to questions of marketplace adoption of new gTLDs generally, and the response from search engines in the marketplace, both of which will influence the communication and usage strategies for the gTLD, CBRE anticipates a phased-in approach to using and promoting the .CBRE gTLD.
At first, CBRE plans to start using .CBRE domains initially as redirects to existing .COM domains and other domains that CBRE currently operates. Subsequently, CBRE expects to initiate a targeted rollout using select gTLD domains as primary addresses and, after a careful review and analysis of this rollout and of the release of new gTLDs by others, the response from search engines to .BRAND gTLDs, and the perceptions of clients and prospective clients, CBRE may engage in a broader initiative, should the results be satisfactory and in accordance with the companyʹs overall strategic goals. As the marketplace evolves, the actual usage of the gTLD will dictate what outreach and communication is needed to ensure that consumers continue to interact with CBRE content in this new namespace. All such outreach will be undertaken in the ordinary course of CBREʹs general marketing efforts.
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?
The proposed operating rules to limit registration to CBRE Group and its qualified subsidiaries, affiliates, and business units will provide a trusted online environment for CBREʹs information and services. Since there will be no market in .CBRE domain names, CBRE will minimize social costs by eliminating the need for third-party brand owners to defensively register their trademark in the .CBRE gTLD, unlike other open registries. In addition, the .CBRE gTLD will provide the commercial real estate market with a trusted source for CBREʹs information and services with a reduced or eliminated risk of fraud, misdirection, infringement, phishing, malware, and other scams that consumers are plagued with in .COM and other open gTLDs.
18.3.1 What other steps will you take to minimize negative consequences⁄costs imposed upon consumers?
CBRE believes that the proposed operation of the .CBRE gTLD as set forth in this application has no known negative consequences or cost implications to consumers. On the contrary, the proposed operation of this registry will likely lead to consumer benefits as described herein.
18.3.2 How will multiple applications for a particular domain name be resolved, for example, by auction or on a first-come⁄first serve basis?
Since there will be no market in .CBRE second level domain name registrations, CBRE does not envision multiple applicants for the same domain name, as domain names will initially only be registered to CBRE Group and its qualified subsidiaries, affiliates, and business units.
18.3.3 Explain any cost benefits for registrants you intend to implement (e.g., advantageous pricing, introductory discounts, bulk registration discounts).
Since there will be no market in .CBRE second level domain name registrations, CBRE does not envision any advantageous pricing, introductory discounts, or bulk registration discounts because it will not be marketing or creating commercial initiatives for the sale of .CBRE domain names. Its intention is to use the gTLD as a recognizable, trusted, virtual platform offering CBRE Group and its qualified subsidiariesʹ, affiliatesʹ and business unitsʹ content, information and services to clients, potential clients and Internet users, all consistent with the Purpose. Any potential registrant fees imposed upon licensees and strategic partners having the Required License will be made in the future in the unlikely event that this class of registrants is permitted to register domain names in the .CBRE gTLD.
18.3.4 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.
CBRE is committed to providing the domain name registration periods set forth in the Registry Agreement. As a .BRAND gTLD, the use of any .CBRE domain names is conditioned upon a subsidiary or affiliate relationship with CBRE Group. Therefore, there is a natural incentive for CBRE to provide domain names with minimal price escalations and the maximum flexibility in domain registration terms possible under ICANN rules. Understanding the ownership of .CBRE domains as noted previously, contractual commitments in a domain name registrant agreement regarding the magnitude of price escalations are not relevant or appropriate. That said, the .CBRE domain agreements will be in accordance with all ICANN requirements.