.ira Domain Information
Applicant Full Legal Name
Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC
Legal Establishment
Limited Liability Company
Parent Company
FMR LLC
Applicant Address
82 Devonshire Street
Boston MA 02109
US
State Jurisdiction
Delaware Limited Liability Company Act (6 Del. C. Sec.18-101, et seq.)
Applicant Website
https://www.fidelity.com/
Applied for gTLD
IRA
Mission/Purpose of Domain Extension
THE MISSION AND PURPOSE OF THE NEW RESTRICTED .IRA GTLD IS TO BENEFIT INTERNET USERS BY ENSURING INCREASED TRUST AND CONFIDENCE THROUGH THE ELIMINATION OF USER CONFUSION AND THE ASSURANCE OF BRAND AUTHENTICITY. The new .ira gTLD will operate as a restricted registry, in which Fidelity Brokerage... Read more
THE MISSION AND PURPOSE OF THE NEW RESTRICTED .IRA GTLD IS TO BENEFIT INTERNET USERS BY ENSURING INCREASED TRUST AND CONFIDENCE THROUGH THE ELIMINATION OF USER CONFUSION AND THE ASSURANCE OF BRAND AUTHENTICITY.
The new .ira gTLD will operate as a restricted registry, in which Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC (Fidelity) can create and control domain spaces that promote its brand identity and authenticity. In this regard, the .ira gTLD will be used by Fidelity or its affiliates to provide authoritative information, services and resources regarding Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) to consumers in a way that promotes trust, confidence and reliability. Second and third level domains can then be utilized for topics regarding IRAs, Fidelity's range of IRAs and related retirement products and services, as well as for education and marketing purposes, with internet users assured of brand authenticity.
Fidelity is a subsidiary of FMR LLC, the parent company of the affiliated group of businesses collectively known as "Fidelity Investments". Fidelity Investments is one of the world's largest providers of financial products and services including investment management, retirement planning, portfolio guidance, securities brokerage, and benefits outsourcing. Founded in 1946, Fidelity Investments provides financial products and services to more than 20 million individuals and institutions, as well as through 5,000 financial intermediary firms. Fidelity Investments is a leader in the US in retirement funds and is the No.1 provider of IRAs and 401(k) retirement savings plans with over 24 million participants. Fidelity Investments provides defined contribution, defined benefit, health and welfare and stock plan services to over 19,000 employers. As of February 29, 2012, Fidelity Investments had assets under administration of USD 3.6 trillion, including managed assets of USD 1.6 trillion and at the close of 2011, Fidelity Investments had USD 875 billion in retirement assets under management. Fidelity Investments employs over 39,000 people and services retail customers through its 168 Investor Centers across the US. Fidelity Investments' websites handled an average of more than 3.1 million visits per day during the fourth quarter of 2011. In this regard, brand reputation, consumer trust and continuous innovation are paramount considerations in all its activities. The .ira gTLD will provide a secure and reliable online location where current and potential customers and other Internet users can interact with Fidelity and each other and learn about retirement planning, related industry trends and Fidelity's range of IRAs and other retirement savings, calculators, tools, products and services.
Since the inception of the current domain name system, business activities conducted on the internet are constantly changing and evolving with increased complexity. The volume of commercial transactions over the internet is constantly growing and bringing benefits of simplicity and lowered transaction costs to businesses and consumers. However, at the same time, criminal activities over the internet including data breach, hacking and phishing activities have also become more sophisticated resulting in loss of consumer confidence beyond mere monetary harm. .ira will facilitate greater trust and assurance from internet users connecting with Fidelity online, whilst still allowing convenient and efficient interaction.
Fidelity's mission and purpose of the gTLD share ICANN's initiatives to promote public interest. Fidelity is committed to contribute towards achieving such initiatives in line with ICANN's Affirmation of Commitments, which includes:
- consumer trust: the .ira gTLD will be operated in a centralized manner with a restrictive registration policy. Registration of domain names will only be available to Fidelity and its affiliate entities, at this stage, which will provide added consumer trust that the .ira gTLD domain names are trustworthy. As domain names are subject to registration standards, policies and procedures under Fidelity's control, this eliminates the possibility of malicious conduct within the .ira gTLD;
- competition: the .ira gTLD is not intended to instigate competition and consumer choice at the level of registration of domain names among prospective registrants. Instead it is anticipated to contribute to ICANN's initiatives to promote public interest through its operation being focused on promoting consumer trust. Increased trust in the .ira gTLD will drive existing and new top level domain (TLD) registry operators to make improvements in mechanisms to improve consumer trust of their TLDs; and
- consumer choice: the .ira gTLD will enable user-driven improvements and innovations assisting Fidelity's marketing efforts through its ability to create new second and third level domain names on demand. These names will provide the consumers with more choices for interacting with Fidelity. As Fidelity has effective control over the registration and use of domain names under the .ira gTLD, this will also contribute towards general service innovations on the internet.
Given the restricted nature of the .ira gTLD, the projected number of registrations is likely to be limited, with about 5 to 100 domain names to be registered in the first three years. The number of registrations is likely to increase as Fidelity implements innovative new financial and investment products, services and marketing campaigns.
As the new .ira gTLD expands, Fidelity will continue to comply with all operational, technical and policy requirements, and will maintain consumer trust and the stability of the internet. Fidelity will keep ICANN reasonably informed of any material developments relating to the .ira gTLD including compliance with the continued operations instrument obligations as set out in Specification 8 of the Registry Agreement.
Fidelity intends to create relevant domain names including some corresponding to its financial products and services, its business unit or affiliated entity names, or geographic names at the second or third level. In accordance with registration policy and the proposed measures for protection of geographic names and two-character country code labels as outlined in response to Question 22, Fidelity may use geographic names to localise its websites in countries in which it, or an affiliate, operates. The use of geographic names is intended to:
- connect internet users with relevant information as applicable to the territory; and
- comply with required rules and regulations in the national territory.
At this stage, Fidelity does not intend to utilise Internationalized Domain Names (IDNs) at the second level. However, as the use of the .ira gTLD evolves, Fidelity may wish to utilise IDNs to allow internet users to engage with .ira in their native language, creating a more positive user experience and encouraging diversity.
Fidelity has existing domain names containing the term "IRA" including in the following spaces:
- gTLDs: irarollover.com, fidelityira.com, fidelityiracenter.com, fidelityrothira.com, fidelityrolloverira.com, fidelityinvestmentsira.com, fidelitysimpleira.com, bestira.mobi, sepira.mobi, iracontribution.mobi, traditionalira.mobi, rolloverira.mobi, fidelityira.mobi, simpleira.mobi, nofeeira.mobi and netsimple-ira.com
Fidelity is a leading global brand with a strong reputation around the world, particularly in the US and Canada. Fidelity has used the term IRA in conjunction with its retirement accounts and planning businesses for over 25 years. As such, Fidelity is well known for being a leading provider of IRAs and other products and services relating to retirement. Fidelity believes that the .ira gTLD is unlikely to cause confusion with either a generic term or any existing TLDs.
×
The new .ira gTLD will operate as a restricted registry, in which Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC (Fidelity) can create and control domain spaces that promote its brand identity and authenticity. In this regard, the .ira gTLD will be used by Fidelity or its affiliates to provide authoritative information, services and resources regarding Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) to consumers in a way that promotes trust, confidence and reliability. Second and third level domains can then be utilized for topics regarding IRAs, Fidelity's range of IRAs and related retirement products and services, as well as for education and marketing purposes, with internet users assured of brand authenticity.
Fidelity is a subsidiary of FMR LLC, the parent company of the affiliated group of businesses collectively known as "Fidelity Investments". Fidelity Investments is one of the world's largest providers of financial products and services including investment management, retirement planning, portfolio guidance, securities brokerage, and benefits outsourcing. Founded in 1946, Fidelity Investments provides financial products and services to more than 20 million individuals and institutions, as well as through 5,000 financial intermediary firms. Fidelity Investments is a leader in the US in retirement funds and is the No.1 provider of IRAs and 401(k) retirement savings plans with over 24 million participants. Fidelity Investments provides defined contribution, defined benefit, health and welfare and stock plan services to over 19,000 employers. As of February 29, 2012, Fidelity Investments had assets under administration of USD 3.6 trillion, including managed assets of USD 1.6 trillion and at the close of 2011, Fidelity Investments had USD 875 billion in retirement assets under management. Fidelity Investments employs over 39,000 people and services retail customers through its 168 Investor Centers across the US. Fidelity Investments' websites handled an average of more than 3.1 million visits per day during the fourth quarter of 2011. In this regard, brand reputation, consumer trust and continuous innovation are paramount considerations in all its activities. The .ira gTLD will provide a secure and reliable online location where current and potential customers and other Internet users can interact with Fidelity and each other and learn about retirement planning, related industry trends and Fidelity's range of IRAs and other retirement savings, calculators, tools, products and services.
Since the inception of the current domain name system, business activities conducted on the internet are constantly changing and evolving with increased complexity. The volume of commercial transactions over the internet is constantly growing and bringing benefits of simplicity and lowered transaction costs to businesses and consumers. However, at the same time, criminal activities over the internet including data breach, hacking and phishing activities have also become more sophisticated resulting in loss of consumer confidence beyond mere monetary harm. .ira will facilitate greater trust and assurance from internet users connecting with Fidelity online, whilst still allowing convenient and efficient interaction.
Fidelity's mission and purpose of the gTLD share ICANN's initiatives to promote public interest. Fidelity is committed to contribute towards achieving such initiatives in line with ICANN's Affirmation of Commitments, which includes:
- consumer trust: the .ira gTLD will be operated in a centralized manner with a restrictive registration policy. Registration of domain names will only be available to Fidelity and its affiliate entities, at this stage, which will provide added consumer trust that the .ira gTLD domain names are trustworthy. As domain names are subject to registration standards, policies and procedures under Fidelity's control, this eliminates the possibility of malicious conduct within the .ira gTLD;
- competition: the .ira gTLD is not intended to instigate competition and consumer choice at the level of registration of domain names among prospective registrants. Instead it is anticipated to contribute to ICANN's initiatives to promote public interest through its operation being focused on promoting consumer trust. Increased trust in the .ira gTLD will drive existing and new top level domain (TLD) registry operators to make improvements in mechanisms to improve consumer trust of their TLDs; and
- consumer choice: the .ira gTLD will enable user-driven improvements and innovations assisting Fidelity's marketing efforts through its ability to create new second and third level domain names on demand. These names will provide the consumers with more choices for interacting with Fidelity. As Fidelity has effective control over the registration and use of domain names under the .ira gTLD, this will also contribute towards general service innovations on the internet.
Given the restricted nature of the .ira gTLD, the projected number of registrations is likely to be limited, with about 5 to 100 domain names to be registered in the first three years. The number of registrations is likely to increase as Fidelity implements innovative new financial and investment products, services and marketing campaigns.
As the new .ira gTLD expands, Fidelity will continue to comply with all operational, technical and policy requirements, and will maintain consumer trust and the stability of the internet. Fidelity will keep ICANN reasonably informed of any material developments relating to the .ira gTLD including compliance with the continued operations instrument obligations as set out in Specification 8 of the Registry Agreement.
Fidelity intends to create relevant domain names including some corresponding to its financial products and services, its business unit or affiliated entity names, or geographic names at the second or third level. In accordance with registration policy and the proposed measures for protection of geographic names and two-character country code labels as outlined in response to Question 22, Fidelity may use geographic names to localise its websites in countries in which it, or an affiliate, operates. The use of geographic names is intended to:
- connect internet users with relevant information as applicable to the territory; and
- comply with required rules and regulations in the national territory.
At this stage, Fidelity does not intend to utilise Internationalized Domain Names (IDNs) at the second level. However, as the use of the .ira gTLD evolves, Fidelity may wish to utilise IDNs to allow internet users to engage with .ira in their native language, creating a more positive user experience and encouraging diversity.
Fidelity has existing domain names containing the term "IRA" including in the following spaces:
- gTLDs: irarollover.com, fidelityira.com, fidelityiracenter.com, fidelityrothira.com, fidelityrolloverira.com, fidelityinvestmentsira.com, fidelitysimpleira.com, bestira.mobi, sepira.mobi, iracontribution.mobi, traditionalira.mobi, rolloverira.mobi, fidelityira.mobi, simpleira.mobi, nofeeira.mobi and netsimple-ira.com
Fidelity is a leading global brand with a strong reputation around the world, particularly in the US and Canada. Fidelity has used the term IRA in conjunction with its retirement accounts and planning businesses for over 25 years. As such, Fidelity is well known for being a leading provider of IRAs and other products and services relating to retirement. Fidelity believes that the .ira gTLD is unlikely to cause confusion with either a generic term or any existing TLDs.
×
Benefits
18(b).i. WHAT IS THE GOAL OF YOUR PROPOSED GTLD IN TERMS OF AREAS OF SPECIALTY, SERVICE LEVELS OR REPUTATION? The key goals of the proposed new .ira gTLD are in line with ICANN's Affirmation of Commitments: to promote consumer trust, competition and consumer choice. Fidelity also seeks to foster... Read more
18(b).i. WHAT IS THE GOAL OF YOUR PROPOSED GTLD IN TERMS OF AREAS OF SPECIALTY, SERVICE LEVELS OR REPUTATION?
The key goals of the proposed new .ira gTLD are in line with ICANN's Affirmation of Commitments: to promote consumer trust, competition and consumer choice. Fidelity also seeks to foster its online reputation and provide an authoritative internet space through which Fidelity is able to communicate with its customers directly and effectively. The .ira gTLD will allow Fidelity to provide a central location for current and prospective customers and internet users to interact and learn about IRAs, related industry trends and Fidelity's other products and services for retirement planning. The ability to create domain names on demand relating to Fidelity's range of IRAs and other specialty products and services relating to retirement, as well as specific marketing supports these goals. Strengthened security measures, service levels and more effective functionality will provide a trusted and positive user experience.
18(b) ii. WHAT DO YOU ANTICIPATE YOUR PROPOSED GTLD WILL ADD TO THE CURRENT SPACE, IN TERMS OF COMPETITION, DIFFERENTIATION OR INNOVATION?
It is anticipated that the proposed .ira gTLD will make positive contributions to the wider internet community by providing:
COMPETITION:
The differentiation of .ira gTLD as a trusted site for Fidelity will drive existing and new TLD registry operators to make improvements in mechanisms to improve consumer trust of their TLDs. Customers and Internet users will be encouraged to interact with domain names under .ira domain space. As a result, the .ira gTLD will have a flow on effect to enable increased competition. Therefore, the benefits of the proposed .ira will be distributed not only to its direct customers, but to the internet community at large forcing improved services and competitive pricing in the market place.
DIFFERENTIATION (INCREASED TRUST):
The .ira gTLD will ultimately simplify how internet users interact with Fidelity by providing a distinctive domain space. Current and future customers, consumers and Internet users will be able to directly navigate to the .ira gTLD site, saving time and resources searching for an official site. The current domain name system has shown that it is vulnerable to malicious abuses due to registration of domain names which seek to exploit consumer confusion. Fidelity can address some of these vulnerabilities by maintaining complete control over the domain names registered under the .ira domain space. The new .ira gTLD will provide a secure and reliable central location for current and potential customers and other consumers to learn about IRAs and interact with each other and with Fidelity online. Together with consumer trust, internet users will be able to rely on the authoritativeness of the domain names and information under the .ira domain space, which will differentiate interaction between internet users and Fidelity.
INNOVATION:
With the expansion of the internet community to all corners of the world, the existing TLD structure presents limitations, not only in the availability of domain names for registrants, but also to businesses and organizations establishing a coherent global online brand presence to meet their evolving business needs. It is often difficult to register a domain name in existing domain space due to unavailability of the desired name, particularly domain names relating to Fidelity's business, products and services. Even when the desired domain name is available, it may come with a high price tag associated with a purchase of such desired name from a third party. Online brand coherence is particularly important for financial services providers such as Fidelity where consumer trust and protection is critical in this era of new web-based and mobile technologies, which Fidelity has embraced to provide information, products and services to customers. The new .ira gTLD will allow Fidelity to provide authoritative and relevant information about IRAs, related industry trends and Fidelity's range of products and services related to retirement. Fidelity intends to utilise the .ira domain space to provide a unique, innovative location where current and prospective customers and users can interact with each other about IRAs through blogs, discussion groups and other interactive technologies. Fidelity has the ability to create second or third level domain names on demand, including the use of topics regarding IRAs, Fidelity's range of IRAs and other retirement planning products and services, and geographic names, which are relevant to its customer base. Fidelity will be able to combine its use of the domain space with innovative user focused marketing and services to address the currently unmet needs in the existing domain name system providing greater consumer choice.
18(b)iii. WHAT GOALS DOES YOUR PROPOSED GTLD HAVE IN TERMS OF USER EXPERIENCE?
The proposed .ira will provide a positive user experience, which meets the changing and growing needs of the global internet community. Fidelity will maintain control in the registration and use of domain names and will ensure that the new gTLD will only be used for purposes authorised by Fidelity. Therefore, the .ira gTLD will:
- provide an accessible, secure and intuitive central location for customers to learn about IRAs and interact with Fidelity online;
- provide an innovative location where current and prospective customers and users can interact with Fidelity and each other about IRAs through blogs, discussion groups and other interactive technologies;
- create second level domains for topics about IRAs and Fidelity's range of IRAs and products and services relating to retirement planning;
- represent authenticity thus promoting user confidence;
- strengthen brand reputation and user confidence by eliminating user confusion;
- direct internet users to relevant information in a timely manner by creating domain names on demand;
- use geographic names to localise its websites to connect with internet users in the relevant regions and to comply with local laws;
- enhance security and minimize security risks by implementing necessary technical and policy measures; and
- prevent potential abuses in the registration process reducing overall costs to businesses and users.
The .ira gTLD should address the concerns that the current domain name system is open to potential malicious abuse and user confusion in the registration processes. Although the current system allows an eligible party to lodge a claim through existing Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP) or other dispute resolution processes, the .ira gTLD will reduce potential abuses in the registration processes and overall costs to internet users. User confidence in the domain name system will be strengthened, which will ultimately contribute towards promoting ICANN's core values in benefiting the public interest.
18(b)iv. PROVIDE A COMPLETE DESCRIPTION OF THE APPLICANTʹS INTENDED REGISTRATION POLICIES IN SUPPORT OF THE GOALS LISTED ABOVE
The proposed registration policy is attached in response to Question 28.
Only affiliate entities of Fidelity will be eligible to register domain names in .ira at this stage. The domain name registration processes will address the requirements mandated by ICANN, including rights abuse prevention measures.
18(b)v. 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
Fidelity is committed to the protection of privacy and confidential information in accordance with its objective of increasing consumer trust and providing a safe and legitimate internet space for internet users. Privacy and confidential information will be protected in accordance with all applicable laws and regulations relating to internet security, privacy and user's confidential information, including all applicable data privacy and legislation applicable in the US and ISO 2000 and ISO 27001 certification in relation to security programs. For example, Fidelity maintains processes and measures to comply as applicable with the privacy components of the Financial Services Modernization Act of 1999 (also known as the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act), Related Rule S-P of the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Federal Trade Commission Standards for Safeguarding Customer Information, the privacy rule and the security rule of the U.S. Health and Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, and the Massachusetts Standards for the Protection of Personal Information of Residents of the Commonwealth.
Fidelity also has implemented its own privacy policy to demonstrate its commitment to the protection of user privacy and confidential information. Fidelity is committed to maintaining the confidentiality, integrity and security of personal information about its current and prospective customers. Fidelity takes great care to protect the personal information of its customers and Fidelity uses such information with complete respect for customers' privacy. Fidelity's Privacy Policy provides that Fidelity will not provide customers' information to unaffiliated third parties for marketing purposes and will only use customers' personal information to:
- service and maintain customers' accounts;
- process transactions in connection with customers' accounts;
- respond to inquiries from customers or their representative;
- develop, offer and deliver products and services to customers;
- fulfill legal and regulatory requirements;
- disclose necessary information to Fidelity's contracted unaffiliated service providers, such as printing and mailing companies;
- disclose information to government agencies, regulatory bodies and law enforcement officials, including for tax purposes; and
- disclose information to other financial organizations, only with customers consent or as directed by the customers' representatives, for credit assessments, or as permitted or required by law, for example to prevent fraudulent transactions.
As registering domain names within the .ira gTLD will only be available to entities affiliated with Fidelity, initially, the amount of personal data that will be collected for the purposes of operating the .ira gTLD and made publicly available in the WHOIS database will be very limited. Fidelity will provide a publicly available and searchable WHOIS look up facility, where information about the domain name status, registrant information including administrative and technical contact details can be found in accordance with Specification 4 of the Registry Agreement. In order to prevent misuse of the WHOIS look up facility, Fidelity will utilise measures including a requirement where any person submitting a WHOIS database query is required to read and agree to the terms and conditions in accordance with the registration policy. This will include the terms of use that the WHOIS database is provided for information purposes only and that the user agrees not to use the information for any other purposes such as allowing or enabling the transmission of unsolicited commercial advertising or other communication.
Fidelity will deploy Domain Name System Security Extensions (DNSSEC) which is intended to benefit both Fidelity and its users interacting with Fidelity online. DNSSEC provides additional security by validating information in the transmission. Therefore, it is intended to benefit those who publish information in the domain name system (DNS) and the users who retrieve information from the new .ira gTLD. Fidelity already implements measures to protect privacy or confidential information of its users against misuse, loss, alteration and unauthorised access. Such measures include the use of:
- Firewalls using multiple layers of firewalls and diverse technologies under a "defense in depth" network protection strategy;
- Denial of Service (DOS) protection at carrier, service provider and infrastructure tiers;
- Intrusion Detection and Prevention to identify and block malicious behaviour and content;
- Network Encryption including Secure Sockets Layer for general web traffic and VPNs for client and specific partner connections;
- Security Monitoring to continuously monitor for unauthorized activity at system, network and application layers;
- Secure development including regular penetration testing and code inspection to detect and remediate security issues proactively;
- Security policy, training and awareness;
- Rigorous Access Management ensuring only approved and authorized access to systems and data;
- Data Management including systems and programs to ensure that data is classified to protect customer's personal information as well as corporate proprietary and confidential data;
- Oversight including an independent audit function to test and verify security control and processes;
- Certification including ISO20000 and ISO27001 standards to validate its security programs; and
- Fraud detection and management.
Fidelity will continue to apply all security measures currently implemented and will comply with all other policies and practices required by ICANN in the Registry Agreement and any relevant Consensus Policy for protecting the privacy and confidential information of registrants and users in the new .ira domain space.
18(b)vi. DESCRIBE WHETHER AND IN WHAT WAYS OUTREACH AND COMMUNICATIONS WILL HELP TO ACHIEVE YOUR PROJECTED BENEFITS
The proposed new .ira gTLD will be publicized by a media plan to promote recognition of the new gTLD within the internet community to be a trusted site and as a sign of authenticity. Fidelity intends to utilise a variety of marketing channels, both traditional and online, to educate its customers and internet users about the new .ira gTLD and the information, services and resources that will be available under the .ira domain space.
During the initial stage of the operation of the proposed new gTLD, it is anticipated that internet users will be re-directed to current websites. However, over time, it is foreseen that communication to the internet community of the existence of the proposed new gTLD and encouragement to use the trusted site will contribute towards minimizing malicious abuses and protecting internet users.
×
The key goals of the proposed new .ira gTLD are in line with ICANN's Affirmation of Commitments: to promote consumer trust, competition and consumer choice. Fidelity also seeks to foster its online reputation and provide an authoritative internet space through which Fidelity is able to communicate with its customers directly and effectively. The .ira gTLD will allow Fidelity to provide a central location for current and prospective customers and internet users to interact and learn about IRAs, related industry trends and Fidelity's other products and services for retirement planning. The ability to create domain names on demand relating to Fidelity's range of IRAs and other specialty products and services relating to retirement, as well as specific marketing supports these goals. Strengthened security measures, service levels and more effective functionality will provide a trusted and positive user experience.
18(b) ii. WHAT DO YOU ANTICIPATE YOUR PROPOSED GTLD WILL ADD TO THE CURRENT SPACE, IN TERMS OF COMPETITION, DIFFERENTIATION OR INNOVATION?
It is anticipated that the proposed .ira gTLD will make positive contributions to the wider internet community by providing:
COMPETITION:
The differentiation of .ira gTLD as a trusted site for Fidelity will drive existing and new TLD registry operators to make improvements in mechanisms to improve consumer trust of their TLDs. Customers and Internet users will be encouraged to interact with domain names under .ira domain space. As a result, the .ira gTLD will have a flow on effect to enable increased competition. Therefore, the benefits of the proposed .ira will be distributed not only to its direct customers, but to the internet community at large forcing improved services and competitive pricing in the market place.
DIFFERENTIATION (INCREASED TRUST):
The .ira gTLD will ultimately simplify how internet users interact with Fidelity by providing a distinctive domain space. Current and future customers, consumers and Internet users will be able to directly navigate to the .ira gTLD site, saving time and resources searching for an official site. The current domain name system has shown that it is vulnerable to malicious abuses due to registration of domain names which seek to exploit consumer confusion. Fidelity can address some of these vulnerabilities by maintaining complete control over the domain names registered under the .ira domain space. The new .ira gTLD will provide a secure and reliable central location for current and potential customers and other consumers to learn about IRAs and interact with each other and with Fidelity online. Together with consumer trust, internet users will be able to rely on the authoritativeness of the domain names and information under the .ira domain space, which will differentiate interaction between internet users and Fidelity.
INNOVATION:
With the expansion of the internet community to all corners of the world, the existing TLD structure presents limitations, not only in the availability of domain names for registrants, but also to businesses and organizations establishing a coherent global online brand presence to meet their evolving business needs. It is often difficult to register a domain name in existing domain space due to unavailability of the desired name, particularly domain names relating to Fidelity's business, products and services. Even when the desired domain name is available, it may come with a high price tag associated with a purchase of such desired name from a third party. Online brand coherence is particularly important for financial services providers such as Fidelity where consumer trust and protection is critical in this era of new web-based and mobile technologies, which Fidelity has embraced to provide information, products and services to customers. The new .ira gTLD will allow Fidelity to provide authoritative and relevant information about IRAs, related industry trends and Fidelity's range of products and services related to retirement. Fidelity intends to utilise the .ira domain space to provide a unique, innovative location where current and prospective customers and users can interact with each other about IRAs through blogs, discussion groups and other interactive technologies. Fidelity has the ability to create second or third level domain names on demand, including the use of topics regarding IRAs, Fidelity's range of IRAs and other retirement planning products and services, and geographic names, which are relevant to its customer base. Fidelity will be able to combine its use of the domain space with innovative user focused marketing and services to address the currently unmet needs in the existing domain name system providing greater consumer choice.
18(b)iii. WHAT GOALS DOES YOUR PROPOSED GTLD HAVE IN TERMS OF USER EXPERIENCE?
The proposed .ira will provide a positive user experience, which meets the changing and growing needs of the global internet community. Fidelity will maintain control in the registration and use of domain names and will ensure that the new gTLD will only be used for purposes authorised by Fidelity. Therefore, the .ira gTLD will:
- provide an accessible, secure and intuitive central location for customers to learn about IRAs and interact with Fidelity online;
- provide an innovative location where current and prospective customers and users can interact with Fidelity and each other about IRAs through blogs, discussion groups and other interactive technologies;
- create second level domains for topics about IRAs and Fidelity's range of IRAs and products and services relating to retirement planning;
- represent authenticity thus promoting user confidence;
- strengthen brand reputation and user confidence by eliminating user confusion;
- direct internet users to relevant information in a timely manner by creating domain names on demand;
- use geographic names to localise its websites to connect with internet users in the relevant regions and to comply with local laws;
- enhance security and minimize security risks by implementing necessary technical and policy measures; and
- prevent potential abuses in the registration process reducing overall costs to businesses and users.
The .ira gTLD should address the concerns that the current domain name system is open to potential malicious abuse and user confusion in the registration processes. Although the current system allows an eligible party to lodge a claim through existing Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP) or other dispute resolution processes, the .ira gTLD will reduce potential abuses in the registration processes and overall costs to internet users. User confidence in the domain name system will be strengthened, which will ultimately contribute towards promoting ICANN's core values in benefiting the public interest.
18(b)iv. PROVIDE A COMPLETE DESCRIPTION OF THE APPLICANTʹS INTENDED REGISTRATION POLICIES IN SUPPORT OF THE GOALS LISTED ABOVE
The proposed registration policy is attached in response to Question 28.
Only affiliate entities of Fidelity will be eligible to register domain names in .ira at this stage. The domain name registration processes will address the requirements mandated by ICANN, including rights abuse prevention measures.
18(b)v. 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
Fidelity is committed to the protection of privacy and confidential information in accordance with its objective of increasing consumer trust and providing a safe and legitimate internet space for internet users. Privacy and confidential information will be protected in accordance with all applicable laws and regulations relating to internet security, privacy and user's confidential information, including all applicable data privacy and legislation applicable in the US and ISO 2000 and ISO 27001 certification in relation to security programs. For example, Fidelity maintains processes and measures to comply as applicable with the privacy components of the Financial Services Modernization Act of 1999 (also known as the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act), Related Rule S-P of the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Federal Trade Commission Standards for Safeguarding Customer Information, the privacy rule and the security rule of the U.S. Health and Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, and the Massachusetts Standards for the Protection of Personal Information of Residents of the Commonwealth.
Fidelity also has implemented its own privacy policy to demonstrate its commitment to the protection of user privacy and confidential information. Fidelity is committed to maintaining the confidentiality, integrity and security of personal information about its current and prospective customers. Fidelity takes great care to protect the personal information of its customers and Fidelity uses such information with complete respect for customers' privacy. Fidelity's Privacy Policy provides that Fidelity will not provide customers' information to unaffiliated third parties for marketing purposes and will only use customers' personal information to:
- service and maintain customers' accounts;
- process transactions in connection with customers' accounts;
- respond to inquiries from customers or their representative;
- develop, offer and deliver products and services to customers;
- fulfill legal and regulatory requirements;
- disclose necessary information to Fidelity's contracted unaffiliated service providers, such as printing and mailing companies;
- disclose information to government agencies, regulatory bodies and law enforcement officials, including for tax purposes; and
- disclose information to other financial organizations, only with customers consent or as directed by the customers' representatives, for credit assessments, or as permitted or required by law, for example to prevent fraudulent transactions.
As registering domain names within the .ira gTLD will only be available to entities affiliated with Fidelity, initially, the amount of personal data that will be collected for the purposes of operating the .ira gTLD and made publicly available in the WHOIS database will be very limited. Fidelity will provide a publicly available and searchable WHOIS look up facility, where information about the domain name status, registrant information including administrative and technical contact details can be found in accordance with Specification 4 of the Registry Agreement. In order to prevent misuse of the WHOIS look up facility, Fidelity will utilise measures including a requirement where any person submitting a WHOIS database query is required to read and agree to the terms and conditions in accordance with the registration policy. This will include the terms of use that the WHOIS database is provided for information purposes only and that the user agrees not to use the information for any other purposes such as allowing or enabling the transmission of unsolicited commercial advertising or other communication.
Fidelity will deploy Domain Name System Security Extensions (DNSSEC) which is intended to benefit both Fidelity and its users interacting with Fidelity online. DNSSEC provides additional security by validating information in the transmission. Therefore, it is intended to benefit those who publish information in the domain name system (DNS) and the users who retrieve information from the new .ira gTLD. Fidelity already implements measures to protect privacy or confidential information of its users against misuse, loss, alteration and unauthorised access. Such measures include the use of:
- Firewalls using multiple layers of firewalls and diverse technologies under a "defense in depth" network protection strategy;
- Denial of Service (DOS) protection at carrier, service provider and infrastructure tiers;
- Intrusion Detection and Prevention to identify and block malicious behaviour and content;
- Network Encryption including Secure Sockets Layer for general web traffic and VPNs for client and specific partner connections;
- Security Monitoring to continuously monitor for unauthorized activity at system, network and application layers;
- Secure development including regular penetration testing and code inspection to detect and remediate security issues proactively;
- Security policy, training and awareness;
- Rigorous Access Management ensuring only approved and authorized access to systems and data;
- Data Management including systems and programs to ensure that data is classified to protect customer's personal information as well as corporate proprietary and confidential data;
- Oversight including an independent audit function to test and verify security control and processes;
- Certification including ISO20000 and ISO27001 standards to validate its security programs; and
- Fraud detection and management.
Fidelity will continue to apply all security measures currently implemented and will comply with all other policies and practices required by ICANN in the Registry Agreement and any relevant Consensus Policy for protecting the privacy and confidential information of registrants and users in the new .ira domain space.
18(b)vi. DESCRIBE WHETHER AND IN WHAT WAYS OUTREACH AND COMMUNICATIONS WILL HELP TO ACHIEVE YOUR PROJECTED BENEFITS
The proposed new .ira gTLD will be publicized by a media plan to promote recognition of the new gTLD within the internet community to be a trusted site and as a sign of authenticity. Fidelity intends to utilise a variety of marketing channels, both traditional and online, to educate its customers and internet users about the new .ira gTLD and the information, services and resources that will be available under the .ira domain space.
During the initial stage of the operation of the proposed new gTLD, it is anticipated that internet users will be re-directed to current websites. However, over time, it is foreseen that communication to the internet community of the existence of the proposed new gTLD and encouragement to use the trusted site will contribute towards minimizing malicious abuses and protecting internet users.
×
Operational Rules and Cost Benefits
As a restricted gTLD, registration will only be open to internal users (affiliate entities) at this stage and no third parties will be able to register domain names under .ira domain space. Therefore, it is not anticipated that third party trademark owners will incur costs in relation to the .ira... Read more
As a restricted gTLD, registration will only be open to internal users (affiliate entities) at this stage and no third parties will be able to register domain names under .ira domain space. Therefore, it is not anticipated that third party trademark owners will incur costs in relation to the .ira gTLD. The affiliate entities wishing to register domain names must ensure that all the policy requirements for registration are satisfied. Fidelity will utilize the services of the proposed Trademark Clearinghouse to ensure that domain names registered and the use of those domain names, do not infringe any registered third party intellectual property rights.
No unaffiliated third party will be permitted to register domain names at this stage. It is estimated that time and money spent by consumers who have been targeted by malicious abuse in utilizing services on the internet will decrease over time as a result of the new, trusted .ira gTLD.
18(c)i. HOW WILL MULTIPLE APPLICATIONS FOR A PARTICULAR DOMAIN NAME BE RESOLVED, FOR EXAMPLE, BY AUCTION OR ON A FIRST-COME / FIRST-SERVE BASIS?
The initial use of the proposed new gTLD will be restricted to internal business use and Fidelity and affiliate entities are intended to be the registrants under the .ira gTLD. Therefore conflicts between multiple applications are not anticipated to occur.
18(c)ii. EXPLAIN ANY COST BENEFITS FOR REGISTRANTS YOU INTEND TO IMPLEMENT (E.G. ADVANTAGEOUS PRICING, INTRODUCTORY DISCOUNTS, BULK REGISTRATION DISCOUNTS)
This gTLD will be used for internal purposes only, at this stage, so pricing incentives are not applicable or relevant.
18(c)iii. 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 PLAN
This gTLD will be used for internal purposes only, at this stage, so pricing incentives or pricing increases are not applicable or relevant as no additional fees are to be charged.
×
No unaffiliated third party will be permitted to register domain names at this stage. It is estimated that time and money spent by consumers who have been targeted by malicious abuse in utilizing services on the internet will decrease over time as a result of the new, trusted .ira gTLD.
18(c)i. HOW WILL MULTIPLE APPLICATIONS FOR A PARTICULAR DOMAIN NAME BE RESOLVED, FOR EXAMPLE, BY AUCTION OR ON A FIRST-COME / FIRST-SERVE BASIS?
The initial use of the proposed new gTLD will be restricted to internal business use and Fidelity and affiliate entities are intended to be the registrants under the .ira gTLD. Therefore conflicts between multiple applications are not anticipated to occur.
18(c)ii. EXPLAIN ANY COST BENEFITS FOR REGISTRANTS YOU INTEND TO IMPLEMENT (E.G. ADVANTAGEOUS PRICING, INTRODUCTORY DISCOUNTS, BULK REGISTRATION DISCOUNTS)
This gTLD will be used for internal purposes only, at this stage, so pricing incentives are not applicable or relevant.
18(c)iii. 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 PLAN
This gTLD will be used for internal purposes only, at this stage, so pricing incentives or pricing increases are not applicable or relevant as no additional fees are to be charged.
×
Is this a Community-based TLD?
No
Is this a Geographic-based TLD?
No
Protection of Geographic Names
REGISTRY AGREEMENT - SPECIFICATION 5 CRITERIA §2 The reservation of two-character label strings may be released to the extent that Registry Operator reaches agreement with the government and the country-code manager. The Registry Operator may also propose release of these reservations based on... Read more
REGISTRY AGREEMENT - SPECIFICATION 5 CRITERIA
§2 The reservation of two-character label strings may be released to the extent that Registry Operator reaches agreement with the government and the country-code manager. The Registry Operator may also propose release of these reservations based on its implementation of measures to avoid confusion with the corresponding country names.
§5 The reservation of specific country and territory names may be released to the extent that the Registry Operator reaches agreement with the applicable government(s), provided, further, that Registry Operator may also propose release of these reservations, subject to review by ICANN's Governmental Advisory Committee and approval by ICANN.
Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC ("Fidelity") generally respects and agrees to abide by the Governmental Advisory Committe's Principles regarding New gTLDs, dated March 28, 2007. In order to comply with the requirements of the Registry Agreement, Specification 5, all Two-character labels (§2) and Country and Territory Names (§5) will be initially reserved.
However, Fidelity believes that the use of geographic terms can provide great benefit and simplicity to internet users because these terms are intuitive ways to resolve to content that may be specifically relevant and targeted to users in the particular country or geographic region or users with an interest in the particular country or geographic region. If Fidelity intended to use any Two-character label and/or Country or Territory Name domains, then it would participate in or implement a process by which any Government may reasonably object to that use. Fidelity will not use geographic names or strings until ICANN has approved such use.
Fidelity envisions a number of possible scenarios for ensuring Government agreement to the use of country and territory names or two-character label strings. These will be explored in detail with ICANN and the GAC to ensure a mutually agreeable solution. The plausible scenarios would include the following:
SCENARIO 1 (LETTER INFORMING GAC):
In advance of any registration or use of geographic names or strings, Fidelity will send a letter to the chair of the Governmental Advisory Committee (GAC) informing the GAC of its intention to use such geographic names or strings in the .ira gTLD. The letter will outline the reasons for using such geographical names or strings and provide Governments with the opportunity to contact Fidelity within 90 days to reserve their respective geographic names or strings from use in the TLD. Should a Government inform Fidelity that it wishes to reserve the use of its geographic name or string, the name will remain reserved for the duration of Fidelity's registry agreement with ICANN. The opportunity to reserve a geographic name or string will be offered to Governments free of charge.
SCENARIO 2 (LETTER INFORMING INDIVIDUAL GOVERNMENTS):
In advance of any registration or use of a geographic name or string, Fidelity will send a letter to the Government concerned and inform it of Fidelity's intention to use the particular geographic name or string in the .ira gTLD. The letter will outline the reasons for using such geographic name or string and provide the Government with the opportunity to contact Fidelity within 90 days to reserve its geographic name or string from use in the .ira gTLD. Should the Government inform Fidelity that it wishes to reserve the use of its geographic name or string, the name or string will remain reserved for the duration of Fidelity's registry agreement with ICANN. The opportunity to reserve a geographic name or string will be offered to the Government free of charge.
SCENARIO 3 (LETTER REQUESTING PERMISSION FROM INDIVIDUAL GOVERNMENT):
In advance of any registration or use of a geographic name or string, Fidelity will send a letter to the Government concerned and inform it of Fidelity's intention to use a particular geographic name or string in the .ira gTLD. The letter will outline the reasons for using a particular geographic name or string and request the Government's approval or non-objection to the proposed use of the geographic name or string. Should the Government not respond to Fidelity within 90 days, Fidelity will understand this to mean that the Government does not object to Fidelity's proposed use of the geographic name or string.
Alternatively, however, under any of the plausible scenarios, should a Government at a later stage contact Fidelity and request that a particular geographic name or string no longer be used, Fidelity will work in good faith with the Government to try to find a mutually agreeable solution. If such a solution cannot be found, Fidelity will respect the Government's wishes and reserve the name from use without cost to the Government concerned.
×
§2 The reservation of two-character label strings may be released to the extent that Registry Operator reaches agreement with the government and the country-code manager. The Registry Operator may also propose release of these reservations based on its implementation of measures to avoid confusion with the corresponding country names.
§5 The reservation of specific country and territory names may be released to the extent that the Registry Operator reaches agreement with the applicable government(s), provided, further, that Registry Operator may also propose release of these reservations, subject to review by ICANN's Governmental Advisory Committee and approval by ICANN.
Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC ("Fidelity") generally respects and agrees to abide by the Governmental Advisory Committe's Principles regarding New gTLDs, dated March 28, 2007. In order to comply with the requirements of the Registry Agreement, Specification 5, all Two-character labels (§2) and Country and Territory Names (§5) will be initially reserved.
However, Fidelity believes that the use of geographic terms can provide great benefit and simplicity to internet users because these terms are intuitive ways to resolve to content that may be specifically relevant and targeted to users in the particular country or geographic region or users with an interest in the particular country or geographic region. If Fidelity intended to use any Two-character label and/or Country or Territory Name domains, then it would participate in or implement a process by which any Government may reasonably object to that use. Fidelity will not use geographic names or strings until ICANN has approved such use.
Fidelity envisions a number of possible scenarios for ensuring Government agreement to the use of country and territory names or two-character label strings. These will be explored in detail with ICANN and the GAC to ensure a mutually agreeable solution. The plausible scenarios would include the following:
SCENARIO 1 (LETTER INFORMING GAC):
In advance of any registration or use of geographic names or strings, Fidelity will send a letter to the chair of the Governmental Advisory Committee (GAC) informing the GAC of its intention to use such geographic names or strings in the .ira gTLD. The letter will outline the reasons for using such geographical names or strings and provide Governments with the opportunity to contact Fidelity within 90 days to reserve their respective geographic names or strings from use in the TLD. Should a Government inform Fidelity that it wishes to reserve the use of its geographic name or string, the name will remain reserved for the duration of Fidelity's registry agreement with ICANN. The opportunity to reserve a geographic name or string will be offered to Governments free of charge.
SCENARIO 2 (LETTER INFORMING INDIVIDUAL GOVERNMENTS):
In advance of any registration or use of a geographic name or string, Fidelity will send a letter to the Government concerned and inform it of Fidelity's intention to use the particular geographic name or string in the .ira gTLD. The letter will outline the reasons for using such geographic name or string and provide the Government with the opportunity to contact Fidelity within 90 days to reserve its geographic name or string from use in the .ira gTLD. Should the Government inform Fidelity that it wishes to reserve the use of its geographic name or string, the name or string will remain reserved for the duration of Fidelity's registry agreement with ICANN. The opportunity to reserve a geographic name or string will be offered to the Government free of charge.
SCENARIO 3 (LETTER REQUESTING PERMISSION FROM INDIVIDUAL GOVERNMENT):
In advance of any registration or use of a geographic name or string, Fidelity will send a letter to the Government concerned and inform it of Fidelity's intention to use a particular geographic name or string in the .ira gTLD. The letter will outline the reasons for using a particular geographic name or string and request the Government's approval or non-objection to the proposed use of the geographic name or string. Should the Government not respond to Fidelity within 90 days, Fidelity will understand this to mean that the Government does not object to Fidelity's proposed use of the geographic name or string.
Alternatively, however, under any of the plausible scenarios, should a Government at a later stage contact Fidelity and request that a particular geographic name or string no longer be used, Fidelity will work in good faith with the Government to try to find a mutually agreeable solution. If such a solution cannot be found, Fidelity will respect the Government's wishes and reserve the name from use without cost to the Government concerned.
×