.frogans Domain

Table of contents:

1. Mission of the OP3FT (the Applicant)
2. Frogans technology
3. Use of the .frogans gTLD
4. .frogans gTLD characteristics
5. The need for the .frogans gTLD
6. The .frogans gTLD registry back-end service provider
7. Financing the .frogans gTLD


1. Mission of the OP3FT (the Applicant)

The OP3FT (Organization for the Promotion, Protection and Progress of Frogans Technology) is a French non-profit organization established on March 17, 2012 for ensuring that, in the public interest, the development of Frogans technology, begun in 1999, be carried out irrevocably in a neutral, open and transparent manner and that its access be guaranteed to all Internet users.

As a non-profit organization acting in the public interest, the object of the OP3FT is to hold, promote, protect and progress Frogans technology in the form of an open standard for the Internet that is free to use by all.

More generally, the object of the OP3FT is to contribute to the development of a secure and stable Internet that is open to innovations, and to support and finance public-interest initiatives or innovative actions of a social, educational or cultural nature in the area of information and communication technologies.

The support and financing of these actions, programs and/or initiatives take place in compliance with the principles of openness and transparency that contribute to the spread of progress made in the area of information and communication technologies to the greatest number of people.

The works that the OP3FT must accomplish to fulfill its mission are detailed in its Bylaws which are available to the public.


2. Frogans technology

Frogans technology allows the implementation of a new application layer on the Internet, called the "Frogans layer," alongside the other Internet application layers such as Email or the World Wide Web.

Frogans technology, which is secure and simple, allows for the publication of Frogans sites. A Frogans site is a set of Frogans pages, hyperlinked between each other, which is put on line on the Internet, or on an intranet, at a Frogans address. Frogans sites can be published by anyone.

Frogans technology uses standards that are open and free, such as the DNS, Unicode, the XML format, the HTTP protocol and the TLS (SSL) protocol.

The Frogans layer will be introduced on the Internet in the near future.


3. Use of the .frogans gTLD

The OP3FT will use the .frogans gTLD with the aim of ensuring the security, stability and reliability of the Frogans layer for the benefit of all Internet users.

The OP3FT will use .frogans gTLD domain names for addressing the computers that are dedicated to the functioning of the Frogans layer on the Internet.

These computers are to be used, for example:

- for the distribution of the free software application that allows all Internet users to navigate Frogans sites (Frogans Player);

- for the resolution of Frogans addresses from anywhere on the Internet.

This use of the .frogans gTLD is inspired by the use of the .net gTLD, as specified by Jon Postel in RFC 1591 (March 1994).

The OP3FT will not use .frogans gTLD domain names for naming Frogans sites. Indeed, the global addressing system of the Frogans layer (Frogans Network System) relies on Frogans addresses, whose specific and simple pattern (network*site) is not related to the Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) scheme.

The use of the .frogans gTLD adheres to ICANNʹs principles for keeping the Internet secure, stable and interoperable, while encouraging more innovation on the Internet.


4. .frogans gTLD characteristics

With respect to the OP3FTʹs mission and in consideration of the use of the .frogans gTLD specified above:

- The OP3FT will be the sole and unique holder of domain names in the .frogans gTLD registry;

- The OP3FT will not commercialize any domain names in the .frogans gTLD registry to third parties;

- The maximum number of domain names in the .frogans gTLD registry will be 1,000.

Additionally:

- For establishing a clear, reliable and perpetual framework of use for the Internet community, the character string "Frogans" is a worldwide trademark since 2000. It has been registered in 80 countries, including France, European countries, the USA, Canada, Australia and Latin American, Asian and African countries (classes 9, 16, 35, 38 and/or 42).

- In any event, the OP3FT cannot have any commercial activity. Thus, the .frogans gTLD shall never represent any commercial activity for the OP3FT.

- Should the maximum number of domain names in the .frogans gTLD registry (1,000) prove at some point to be insufficient for addressing all of the computers that are dedicated to the functioning of the Frogans layer, the OP3FT would likely reorganize the hierarchy of domain names with the introduction of third-level domain names so that the total number of domain names in the .frogans gTLD registry will not exceed 1,000.


5. The need for the .frogans gTLD

Two current members of the OP3FTʹs Board of Directors have participated or have been represented in all ICANN meetings from June 2008 to June 2011 in order to prepare the .frogans gTLD application (ICANN meetings in Paris, Cairo, Mexico City, Sydney, Seoul, Nairobi, Brussels, Cartagena, San Francisco and Singapore).

They also met with the head of the new gTLD program at ICANN, Kurt Pritz, in June 2010 in Brussels. They wanted to make sure that there would be no red flags concerning the envisioned use of the .frogans gTLD and that the application would be in line with ICANNʹs goals for the new gTLD program where it concerns the innovative use of the DNS and security.

The main concern in using a second-level domain (e.g. frogans.net), instead of using a gTLD for holding the computers dedicated to the functioning of the Frogans layer is that it would expose the entirety of Internet users who use the Frogans layer (publishers, hosting providers, end-users, etc.) to unmanageable security issues and threats, such as, for example, a nameserver change, unauthorized by the OP3FT, related to the delegation of that second-level domain.

The key benefit in using a gTLD instead of a second-level domain is that unauthorized delegation changes in the DNS root, which is under IANAʹs responsibility, are not possible.

Thus, the use of the .frogans gTLD is imperative for the OP3FT to guarantee the security, stability and reliability of the computers dedicated to the functioning of the Frogans layer for the benefit of all Internet users.


6. The .frogans gTLD registry back-end service provider

After having explored a number of back-end registry solutions for the operation of the .frogans gTLD, including the development of an in-house solution, the OP3FT selected AFNIC (Association Française pour le Nommage Internet en Coopération) as the registry back-end service provider for the .frogans gTLD.

AFNIC provides the OP3FT with assistance for the ICANN application and technical back-end registry services compliant with ICANNʹs requirements.


7. Financing the .frogans gTLD

The application for the .frogans gTLD and its ongoing operation is an investment, for the benefit of all Internet users, in the security, stability and reliability of the Frogans layer.

This investment conforms to the OP3FTʹs mission, which is to hold, promote, protect and progress Frogans technology.

The expenses for the ongoing operation of the .frogans gTLD are self-funded, representing a fixed sum of approximately 100,000 euros per year. This fixed sum represents 5.5% of the OP3FTʹs guaranteed minimum annual operating budget (1.8 million euros).

The annual operating budget of the OP3FT, a French "fonds de dotation," is guaranteed for 10 years. It is provided through its endowment revenues according to the French Law on the Modernization of the Economy of August 4th, 2008, law number 2008-776.×