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.otsuka New gTLD Application

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New gTLD Application Submitted to ICANN by: Otsuka Holdings Co., Ltd.

String: otsuka

Originally Posted: 13 June 2012

Application ID: 1-906-65402

 

Applicant Information

 

  1. Full legal name

Otsuka Holdings Co., Ltd.

 

  1. Address of the principal place of business

2-9 Kanda-Tsukasamachi, Chiyoda-ku,

Tokyo  101-0048

JP

 

  1. Phone number

+81 3 6717 1410

 

  1. Fax number

+81 3 6717 1409

 

  1. If applicable, website or URL

http:⁄⁄www.otsuka.com

 

Primary Contact

 

6(a). Name

Mr. Toshio Shiba

 

6(b). Title

Operating Officer, Internal Control Department

 

6(c). Address

 

6(d). Phone Number

+81 3 6717 1410

 

6(e). Fax Number

+81 3 6717 1409

 

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. Hiroya TSUKAHARA

 

7(b). Title

Representative Director and CEO

 

7(c). Address

 

7(d). Phone Number

+81 3 5456 1601

 

7(e). Fax Number

+81 3 3780 2611

 

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 jursidiction that defines the type of entity identified in 8(a).

The formation, organization, operation and management of companies are governed by the provisions of the “Companies Act” as set forth by the Ministry of Justice of Japan.

(Reference : http:⁄⁄law.e-gov.go.jp⁄htmldata⁄H17⁄H17HO086.html)

 

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.

Tokyo_Stock_Exchange;4578

 

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

Akihiko Otsuka Chairman, Representative Director

Atsumasa Makise Senior Managing Director, Finance

Ichiro Otsuka Senior Vice President

Kenichiro Otake Vice Chairman, Representative Director

Noriko Tojo Managing Director, Business Development and Planning

Sadanobu Tobe Executive Director

Tatsuo Higuchi President and Representative Director, CEO

Yoshiro Matsuo Managing Director, Administration

Yujiro Otsuka Executive Director

Yukio Kobayashi Executive Director

 

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

Akihiko Otsuka Chairman, Representative Director

Atsumasa Makise Senior Managing Director, Finance

Ichiro Otsuka Senior Vice President

Kenichiro Otake Vice Chairman, Representative Director

Noriko Tojo Managing Director, Business Development and Planning

Sadanobu Tobe Executive Director

Tatsuo Higuchi President and Representative Director, CEO

Yoshiro Matsuo Managing Director, Administration

Yujiro Otsuka Executive Director

Yukio Kobayashi Executive Director

 

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

 

  1. Provide the applied-for gTLD string. If an IDN, provide the U-label.

otsuka

 

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.

GMO Registry (backend registry) has conducted technical analysis on the applied-for string, and concluded that there are no known potential operational or rendering issues associated with the string.

 

The following sections discuss the potential operational or rendering problems that can arise, and how GMO Registry mitigates them.

 

  1. Compliance and Interoperability

 

The applied-for string conforms to all relevant RFCs, as well as the string requirements set forth in Section 2.2.1.3.2 of the Applicant Guidebook.

 

 

  1. Mixing Scripts

 

If a domain name label contains characters from different scripts, it has a higher likelihood of encountering rendering issues. If the mixing of scripts occurs within the top-level label, any rendering issue would affect all domain names registered under it. If occurring within second level labels, its ill-effects are confined to the domain names with such labels.

 

All characters in the applied-for gTLD string are taken from a single script. In addition, GMO Registryʹs IDN policies are deliberately conservative and compliant with the ICANN Guidelines for the Implementation of IDN Version 3.0. Specifically, GMO Registry does not allow mixed-script labels to be registered at the second level, except for languages with established orthographies and conventions that require the commingled use of multiple scripts, e.g. Japanese.

 

 

  1. Interaction Between Labels

 

Even with the above issue appropriately restricted, it is possible that a domain name composed of labels with different properties such as script and directionality may introduce unintended rendering behaviour.

 

GMO Registry adopts a conservative strategy when offering IDN registrations. In particular, it ensures that any IDN language tables used for offering IDN second level registrations involve only scripts and characters that would not pose a risk when combined with the top level label.

 

 

  1. Immature Scripts

 

Scripts or characters added in Unicode versions newer than 3.2 (on which IDNA2003 was based) may encounter interoperability issues due to the lack of software support.

 

GMO Registry does not currently plan to offer registration of labels containing such scripts or characters.

 

 

  1. Other Issues

 

To further contain the risks of operation or rendering problems, GMO Registry currently does not offer registration of labels containing combining characters or characters that require IDNA contextual rules handling. It may reconsider this decision in cases where a language has a clear need for such characters.

 

GMO Registry understands that the following may be construed as operational or rendering issues, but considers them out of the scope of this question. Nevertheless, it will take reasonable steps to protect registrants and Internet users by working with vendors and relevant language communities to mitigate such issues.

 

- missing fonts causing string to fail to render correctly; and

- universal acceptance of the TLD;

 

  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.

Otsuka-people creating new products for better health worldwide

 

In keeping with the corporate philosophy and Otsuka’s mottos “JISSHO” (Proof through Execution) and “SOZOSEI” (Creativity), we strive to utilize our Group’s unique assets and skills to develop differentiating scientific solutions which contribute to the lives of people worldwide in the form of innovative and creative products ranging from pharmaceuticals to consumer products.

Otsuka Group is striving to cultivate a culture and a dynamic corporate climate reflecting our vision as a healthcare company. As such we are dedicated to achieving global sustainability, to our relationships with local communities and to the protection of the natural environment.

 

.otsuka is a domain for Otsuka Holdings Co.,Ltd.(hereafter Otsuka Holdings) and its stakeholders. The primary purpose of .otsuka is to consolidate Otsuka Holdings-related domain names registered under various TLDs into an official .otsuka extension. In addition, Otsuka Holdings aims to achieve the following goals with .otsuka:

 

  1. Alleviating user confusion and improving convenience for Internet users

Otsuka Holdings is a global healthcare company manufacturing and selling various products such as therapeutic drugs, clinical nutrition products, diagnostic products, medical devices, functional foods & beverages and cosmetics all over the world. The company has registered many domain names under various gTLDs and ccTLDs not only for actual use but also as a trademark protection measure. Despite these efforts, there exist many domain name registrations and websites that infringe Otsuka Holdings’s trademarks. As a result, Internet users often have difficulty differentiating bona fide websites from fraudulent ones. Positioning .otsuka as the official domain for the company, and unifying the company⁄brand’s web presence under .otsuka, would provide easy access and interaction, which the company believes would reduce confusion and improve user experience.

 

  1.  Marketing ⁄ Branding

Since .otsuka is a brand new TLD that directly represents the company⁄brand name, Otsuka Holdings expects it to be a highly effective marketing and branding tool. The company believes that .otsuka will not only reinforce Otsuka Holdings’s brand on the Internet, but also attract people to visit the website because .otsuka domain names make it easier for Internet users to access to the information related to the company.

 

  1.  Simplifying domain name management

The third purpose for applying for .otsuka is to simplify the management of domain names the company has registered. As stated earlier, Otsuka Holdings has many domain names under the various TLDs, posing a challenge in dealing with different registration and operation rules, log-in systems, etc. .otsuka would make it possible to manage domain names under the .otsuka rules and systems umbrella and would replace various Otsuka Holdings related domain names with .otsuka domain names. As a consequence, it will be safer and easier for the .otsuka stakeholders to manage their domain names.

 

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

 

  1. WHAT IS THE GOAL OF YOUR PROPOSED GTLD IN TERMS OF AREAS OF SPECIALTY, SERVICE LEVELS, OR REPUTATION?

 

Specialty

.otsuka is a TLD for Otsuka Holdings Co., Ltd. and its stakeholders (i.e. Otsuka Holdings Co., Ltd. and companies listed on the securities reports of Otsuka Holdings Co., Ltd.). .otsuka is different from other common TLDs in that second level domain name registrations will not be open to the public. .otsuka is a ʺcompany⁄brand TLDʺ, which is a new type of TLD that is expected to have increased marketing and branding power. Registrants of .otsuka domain names will be pioneers in benefitting from the value of a ʺcompany⁄brand TLDʺ. Also, all information sent or published from .otsuka will be official and that means the information is dependable. .otsuka directly expresses the name of the company⁄brand, making it easy to remember and associate with products and services of Otsuka Holdings Co., Ltd. and its brand names. Otsuka Holdings Co., Ltd. hopes that the .otsuka character string will be easy-to-understand, easy-to-remember and that people recognize it as trustworthy.

 

Service Levels

In terms of service levels, Otsuka Holdings Co., Ltd. (the applicant) aims to operate the .otsuka TLD in a secure and stable manner, adopting industry best practices where applicable. The registry’s operational goals are to have DNS load dispersion that is resistant to DDoS attacks, industry-leading level of Whois information change  and DNS record change reflection time, substantial registrar support, and abuse window operation 24 hours a day and 365 days a year.

The applicant will also implement proven security measures at every level of the .otsuka business and technical operation to provide maximum protection for its stakeholders. This includes stringent security policies and procedures, as well as comprehensive abuse handling mechanisms to mitigate security threats to the TLD.

 

Reputation

Aims for the reputation of .otsuka are

  1.     for .otsuka to become well recognized as Otsuka Holdings Co., Ltd.’s official TLD, and
  2.     for the .otsuka name space to become one which Internet users can access with confidence.

 

 

  1. WHAT DO YOU ANTICIPATE YOUR PROPOSED GTLD WILL ADD TO THE CURRENT SPACE, IN TERMS OF COMPETITION, DIFFERENTIATION, OR INNOVATION?

 

Otsuka Holdings Co., Ltd. believes that company⁄brand name TLDs such as .otsuka will promote competition, differentiation, and innovation for domain name registrants, internet users, and business.

 

.otsuka is a new type of TLD in that the top-level string, not the second level, represents the company⁄brand name. It has several important elements of a good Internet address: direct, simple, easy-to-understand, and memorable. These elements are also important for marketing and branding activities, therefore Otsuka Holdings Co., Ltd. expects that the TLD will play a stronger part than ever in marketing activities.

 

The existence of this kind of differentiated TLD will encourage domain name registrants to consider the top-level as well as the second level when choosing an appropriate identity on the Internet. Also, registries and registrars will be encouraged to differentiate in terms of services, operations, systems, pricing, support, etc., promoting positive competition, differentiation, and innovation.

 

In addition, .otsuka is different from other existing TLDs because it will be only available to Otsuka Holdings Co., Ltd. and its stakeholders. With its restrictive rules and comprehensive abuse handling processes, Otsuka Holdings Co., Ltd. expects minimal abusive domain name registrations in the .otsuka name space. This means that information provided by .otsuka will be reliable and Internet users will be able to enjoy the name space with confidence. .otsuka will deliver unprecedented trust to Internet users, which Otsuka Holdings Co., Ltd. believes will spur further positive competition and innovation in the industry.

 

 

  1. WHAT GOALS DOES YOUR PROPOSED GTLD HAVE IN TERMS OF USER EXPERIENCE?

 

In terms of user experience, .otsuka aims to provide a name space

  1.    where Internet users can access information on Otsuka Holdings Co., Ltd. safely and effectively,
  2.    where Internet users can discover new things about Otsuka Holdings Co., Ltd., and
  3.    that Internet users recognize as meaningful and trustworthy.

 

  1. PROVIDE A COMPLETE DESCRIPTION OF THE APPLICANT’S INTENDED REGISTRATION POLICIES IN SUPPORT OF THE GOALS LISTED ABOVE.

 

In order to achieve the goals stated above, the plans for .otsuka domain name registration policies are as follows. All .otsuka TLD registrars and registrants must agree to abide by the policies. Failure to comply with the policies may result in denial, cancelation or transfer of any registration or transaction, or domain name being placed on lock, hold or similar status.

 

Registration Eligibility

Domain name registrations for .otsuka will be limited to the following organizations:

  1. Otsuka Holdings Co., Ltd.
  2. Companies listed on the asset securities reports of Otsuka Holdings Co., Ltd.
  3. Unconsolidated subsidiaries of Otsuka Holdings Co., Ltd.
  4. Affiliate companies of Otsuka Holdings Co., Ltd.

 

Important Note: No individual-basis registrations will be allowed. In other words, the board members, employees, and contract staff of the companies listed above are not permitted to be registrants of .otsuka domain names.

 

Verification of Registration Eligibility

Registration and management of .otsuka domain names will be via the .otsuka dedicated account provided by a .otsuka accredited registrar. Access to the .otsuka dedicated account will be limited to the registrants and their authorized administrative contacts, subject to verification of registration eligibility. The verification will be conducted by the applicant, and organizations that wish to apply for a .otsuka dedicated account will be required to provide proof of registration eligibility to the applicant via a .otsuka accredited registrar. All .otsuka domain name registration phases are subject to the verification. Proposed valid forms of documentary proof include, but are not limited to,

-       company seal (registered or unregistered)

-       signature of management staff

 

The applicant will conduct verification on a per-registrant basis only. Once verified, the registrant or its authorized administrative contact will have access to the .otsuka dedicated account, through which it may apply for multiple .otsuka domain names without further verification, under the condition that the registrant and administrative contact information of an applied-for domain name are identical to that which the applicant has verified. If there are any material changes to the verified information, the registrant or administrative contact must notify the registry of the change.

 

Whois Accuracy

The applicant believes that it is important to keep and publish correct Whois data; registrants will be required to provide and maintain accurate, complete, and current Whois data. In addition, no Whois protection service of any kind will be allowed.

 

Draft Abusive Use Policy

The applicant defines abuse as any activity that may harm the stability and security of the DNS and Internet, including, but not limited to:

 

-        Illegal or fraudulent activities;

-        Phishing;

-        Pharming;

-        Using or distributing malicious software (malware);

-        Sending unsolicited bulk messages (spam);

-        Posting, trading, or exchanging information that harms minors; and

-        Posting information that is offensive to public order or morals.

 

The applicant reserves the right to deny, cancel or transfer any registration or transaction, or place any domain name on lock, hold or similar status, at its sole discretion, to enforce the policy.

 

In addition, the applicant intends to set up an abuse support window (abuse report form and abuse support window) for .otsuka operating 24 hours a day and 365 days a year to be able to provide prompt responses to abuse activities.

 

In case an abuse use is reported, Otsuka Holdings Co., Ltd. will promptly take appropriate measures in accordance with the suspension flow provided separately (Please refer to Question 28).

 

URS System

The applicant is committed to adopting and abiding by the URS System for trademark owners who seek a rapid system to take down domain names which infringe on their rights.  

 

UDRP

UDRP is applicable to all .otsuka domain name registrations.

 

 

  1. 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.

 

.otsuka will comply with the applicable laws of Japan, as well as applicable ICANN consensus policies. As part of its responsibility as the registry operator of the .otsuka TLD, the applicant will exercise due care to protect all information it receives from registrants or users through registrars, with the exception of registration data to be published on Whois.

 

The .otsuka registration policies only allow registrations by companies and not individuals. As such, the applicant will publish on Whois all information required by ICANN as it regards all required information to be public. The applicant believes that it is important to maintain Whois data accuracy, and no Whois protection service of any kind will be allowed.

 

 

DESCRIBE WHETHER AND IN WHAT WAYS OUTREACH AND COMMUNICATIONS WILL HELP TO ACHIEVE YOUR PROJECTED BENEFITS.

 

 .otsuka is intended exclusively for Otsuka Holdings Co., Ltd. and its stakeholders. Therefore, Otsuka Holdings Co., Ltd. will direct its outreach and communications efforts towards raising awareness of the .otsuka identity among Internet users. By consolidating the company-related domain names under the .otsuka umbrella, Otsuka Holdings Co., Ltd. hopes to gain mindshare of the .otsuka TLD among users, thereby contributing to the projected benefits stated above.

 

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

  1. HOW WILL MULTIPLE APPLICATIONS FOR A PARTICULAR DOMAIN NAME BE RESOLVED, FOR EXAMPLE, BY AUCTION OR ON A FIRST-COME⁄FIRST-SERVE BASIS?

 

Multiple applications for a particular domain name for all registration phases will be resolved on a first-come-first-served basis.

 

 

  1. EXPLAIN ANY COST BENEFITS FOR REGISTRANTS YOU INTEND TO IMPLEMENT (E.G., ADVANTAGEOUS PRICING, INTRODUCTORY DISCOUNTS, BULK REGISTRATION DISCOUNTS).

 

.otsuka will not be available to the general public, so the applicant is not planning to offer cost benefits for registrants at this point. The company promises equal treatment for all .otsuka registrars.

 

 

  1. 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.

 

The registration period for .otsuka domain names is as follows:

 

General Registration

- Minimum of 1 year and maximum of 10 years (but no greater than 10 years)

 

All Phases other than General Registration Phase

- Minimum of 2 years and maximum of 10 years (but no greater than 10 years)

 

The applicant will provide an advance written notice of price increases as required by the Registry Agreement. The registry is not intending to make contractual commitments to registrants regarding the magnitude of price escalation.