THE MISSION AND PURPOSE OF THE NEW RESTRICTED .ORANGE gTLD IS TO BENEFIT INTERNET USERS BY ENSURING INCREASED TRUST AND CONSUMER CONFIDENCE THROUGH THE ELIMINATION OF USER CONFUSION AND ASSURANCE OF BRAND AUTHENTICITY. The .orange gTLD will be initially operated as a restricted registry, that is... Read more
THE MISSION AND PURPOSE OF THE NEW RESTRICTED .ORANGE gTLD IS TO BENEFIT INTERNET USERS BY ENSURING INCREASED TRUST AND CONSUMER CONFIDENCE THROUGH THE ELIMINATION OF USER CONFUSION AND ASSURANCE OF BRAND AUTHENTICITY.
The .orange gTLD will be initially operated as a restricted registry, that is to say Orange will not open up the registry for the registration of domain names to the general public but will instead solely operate the .orange gTLD within the environment of Orange Brand Services Limited (Orange). As a result, Orange can create and control domain names within .orange domain space that promote the identity and authenticity of its brand. In this regard, the .orange gTLD will be used by Orange to provide information, services and resources to its customers in a way that ensures trust and convenience. .orange will provide an authoritative internet space for Orange, its affiliates and partners that are associated with the brand. Second and third level domain names can be utilised for communication and marketing purposes, with internet users assured of brand authenticity. As the use of the new .orange gTLD expands and evolves, Orange may consider offering personalised domain names to its business customers, at a later date. In this endeavour Orange will continue to comply with all operational, technical and policy requirements, as well as maintaining consumer trust and the stability of the internet. Orange will keep ICANN reasonably informed of any material developments relating to the .orange gTLD including compliance with the continued operations instrument obligations as set out in Specification 8 of the Registry Agreement.
Orange is a global telecommunications company, providing a range of mobile and broadband communication services. Orange provides communications services to over 200 million customers in 32 countries across 5 continents. In 2010, the Orange brand was ranked number 50 by Millward Brown Optimor on a list of the world's most powerful brands, with an estimated brand value of US$17.5 billion. As such, customer trust, brand recognition and continuous innovation are paramount considerations in all of the activities of the business. By creating the .orange gTLD, Orange will strengthen its position as one of the world leaders with a strong focus on innovation and internet technology, combined with its commercial practices.
Today, business activities are increasingly conducted over the internet, allowing for greater levels of interaction between businesses and its customers. As a result, both businesses and end users benefit from ease of interaction and a wider range of choices with lower transaction costs. However, the development in this arena in the current domain name system has exposed both businesses and consumers to increased criminal activities over the internet, including data breach, hacking and phishing. These sophisticated criminal activities cause reputational damage to businesses as internet users lose consumer confidence and trust with the businesses targeted by such criminal activities. The .orange gTLD will facilitate greater trust and assurance from internet users connecting with Orange online, whilst still allowing convenient and efficient interaction.
Orange's mission and purpose of the proposed new gTLD share ICANN's initiatives to promote public interest. Orange is committed to contributing towards achieving such initiatives in line with ICANN's Affirmation of Commitments, which includes:
- consumer trust: the .orange gTLD registry will be operated in a centralised manner with restrictive registration policy. Registration of domain names will only be available to Orange and its affiliate entities at this stage, which will provide added consumer trust that .orange domain names are trustworthy. As .orange domain names are subject to registration standards, policies and procedures under Orange's control, this eliminates the possibility of malicious conduct within the .orange domain space. Users will be assured that when browsing an .orange domain, that it is an Orange approved site.
- competition: the proposed new 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 such initiatives through its operation focused on promoting consumer trust. Increased trust in .orange gTLD will drive existing and new top level domain (TLD) registry operators to make improvements in mechanisms to increase consumer trust of their TLDs; and
- consumer choice: the proposed new gTLD will enable user-driven improvements and innovations assisting Orange'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 Orange. As Orange has effective control over the registration and use of domain names under .orange domain space, this will also contribute towards general service innovations on the internet.
Given the restricted nature of the .orange gTLD, the projected number of registrations is likely to be limited. It is anticipated that a limited number of between 1-300 domain names will be registered in the first year. However, over the next few years, the number of registrations is likely to increase to around 500-1,000 domain names as new services and marketing campaigns are developed and implemented.
Orange is a well-known global brand, with a substantial portfolio of registered trade marks protecting the Orange word and brand in over 190 countries and territories for variety of goods and services, including (but not limited to): telecommunications, communications services, electric and electronic communications, installation, maintenance and repair of telecommunications apparatus and systems, and advisory and consultancy services relating to telecommunications and communication.
Orange has existing domain names in 10 gTLDs and over 140 country-code TLDs (ccTLDs) containing the "Orange" trade mark including (but not limited to) the following spaces:
- gTLDs: .asia, .biz, .com, .mobi, .net, .tel, .info, .jobs, .org
- ccTLDs: co.uk, .be, .bh, .co.ma, .co.om, .co.th, .co.ug, .co.uz, .co.ve, .co.za, .com.jo, .com.pt, .es, .eu, .hk, .net.au, .net.cn, .net.uk, .se, .sg, .us, .ch, .co, .in, .it, .pl
Recently, Orange was successful in securing sunrise applications for the following domain spaces based on existing trade mark registration: .eu, .asia, .tel, .co, .xxx
Orange believes that the .orange gTLD is unlikely to cause confusion with either a generic term or any existing TLDs. Orange trademarks represent a leading global brand with significant reputation in Europe and the UK. With over 200 million customers worldwide, Orange has a strong reputation in countries all around the world. Orange has used the term ‘orange' in conjunction with its telecommunications and communications businesses for almost 20 years. Orange has been at the forefront of technological innovation, launching mobile internet and high-speed broadband. As such, the Orange brand is well known for internet related goods and services. The .orange gTLD will continue the innovation of the Orange brand.
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