.hiv Pre-Register Domain - .hiv Domain Information

The Top-Level Domain (TLD) .HIV is designed to use the power of the Internet and employ Internet users to fight HIV and AIDS. The registered .HIV domain names will contribute to this goal in being the backbone of a charity. Funds from domain name registrations will be collected and used for charitable causes aiming to raise awareness and reduce the stigmatisation of people affected by HIV and AIDS. .HIV will give the topic a whole new visibility amongst Internet users - and .HIV domain names thus become the Red Ribbon of the digital age.

The fight against HIV/AIDS is recognized as one of the most urgent humanitarian obligations of all time. In 2010, 34 million people were infected with the virus and there were 1,8 million reported AIDS related deaths. HIV is considered to be the only long-term pandemic, affecting people's lives and national economies around the world.
Effective treatment is now possible, making an HIV infection a chronic disease when treated early and constantly. But medication is costly, weighing severely on public health budget and with highest HIV prevalence rates in low- and middle-income countries; access to treatment has not even reached 50% of all patients in 2010 (1).
In a renewed call for action, the United Nations Member States agreed on the "Political Declaration on HIV/AIDS: Intensifying Our Efforts to Eliminate HIV/AIDS" in June 2011. This declaration commits to further funding, coordination of scientific research and programs as well as the goal of universal access to HIV prevention, treatment and care (2).
These days, the fight against HIV/AIDS is at a turning point: for the first time since the detection of the virus in 1981 it seems thinkable that the pandemic can be stopped. As UNAIDS puts it: "The knowledge and the tools to defeat AIDS now exist. Decisions made now will determine whether this is truly the beginning of the end of AIDS" (3). The Top-Level Domain .HIV is situated in this political and historical context.

The TLD .HIV is designed to serve this specific social cause. It uses the global network that is the Internet to tackle a problem that is present around the globe - because a global problem needs a global solution. Therefore, dotHIV aims at integrating as many companies, social organizations and individuals in the .HIV namespace as possible: .HIV will be an open TLD, generally available to all registrants without nexus or pre-qualification requirements (except in Sunrise). Individuals, businesses and organizations can use the domains. We do not plan on requiring that users maintain websites or format them in any particular way respecting the fact that registrants have varying goals and situations how they want to engage in their fight against AIDS.

With this openness in mind, the TLD .HIV will act as a global communication tool for change and support the AIDS response in three major ways:
Firstly, the TLD registry dotHIV serves as a fundraising tool for the fight against the disease. All registration fees exceeding operational costs will be used to serve the social cause. We aim at distributing the largest part - at least 50% - of every registration fee. The .HIV TLD opens up a new source of fundraising, which will help to close the financial gap for an effective answer to the disease.
For the year of 2010 UNAIDS estimated a financial need amounting to UDS 25.9 billion to fight AIDS globally - but only USD 15.9 billion were available. For the first time in HIV history, one could see a decline in financial commitment from donor nations. This development continues as the international economic crisis puts pressure on public households. As international public commitment, which is accounting for 95% of investments in the AIDS response, is on a draw back, funds from private sector actors become even more important (1). This is where the Top-Level Domain .HIV comes in, giving corporate and individual registrants the opportunity to register a .HIV-domain name as a symbol of solidarity, gathering the registrations fees and distributing it to dedicated organizations around the globe. Based on the medium scenario of domain name registrations, € 4.934.074 are expected to go to charity in the first three years of operations.

Secondly, Internet users get actively connected to the topic: the Top-Level Domain .HIV brings HIV back into people's minds. In the broad public, awareness of HIV is still too low for effective prevention, and on further decline in industrialized countries. This relates in particular to young people, who are at the forefront of the epidemic: they accounted for 41% of all new HIV infections among adults in 2009. Global surveys show that amongst young people between 15 and 24, only a third had comprehensive knowledge of the disease in 2009 and HIV testing and condom usage stay at the same low levels (4). This lack of self protection ultimately results in the estimated 60% of all people living with HIV who do not know their status and thereby impend their chance to look after their own health and that of their loved ones (3).
To address and reach young people, it is important to use their communication media. The Top-Level Domain .HIV implants the AIDS response in the DNA of the Internet: .HIV domain names work as every day reminders of the disease and are embedded in a larger social media approach involving Internet users through feedback and the possibilities to participate (see our answer to Q #18b i-iii).

Thirdly, registrants become flag bearers of the AIDS response. The Top-Level Domain .HIV will fight the stigma related to HIV. The diagnosis HIV+ has far-reaching social consequences: In 2010, more than a third of those carrying the virus reported serious discrimination and exclusion e.g. due to loss of their job, travel restrictions or being refused medical care (5). Governments also point out that stigmatization is the greatest impediment to suppressing the number of new infections: fear of stigmatization silences people and silence impedes the only true prevention - information and knowledge about HIV. An efficient AIDS response not only aims to provide universal access to therapies but also must adopt a bottom-up approach. As long as the infected continue to be ostracized, further measures will not be effective. The Top-Level Domain .HIV creates an incentive for large companies to position themselves publicly with their .HIV domain name. This visible commitment works against the stigmatization of those living with HIV. It is via this principle that the Top-Level Domain .HIV becomes the Red Ribbon of the digital age (see our answer to Q #48/Derivation of Demand).

Following these three fields of impact, the Top-Level Domain .HIV creates a lively namespace open to everybody: Companies from within and outside the medical field, international and non-governmental organizations, public entities and individuals, providing both topic-related content and a new surfing experience to Internet users. It is an online space dedicated to a common social goal and thus gives the fight against AIDS a new virtual arena.
To ensure the constant primacy and reliability of social impact, dotHIV is incorporated as a charitable association under German law. The fulfilment of the charitable goal of the organization as stated in the articles of association is part of regular fiscal monitoring procedures executed by independent accountants and with reporting commitment to German fiscal authorities. Please find the articles of association as well as the certificate on the charitable nature of the organization attached to Question #45.
List of References:
(1) UNAIDS Progress Report 2011: http://goo.gl/fxKhd
(2) UN General Secretary Report 2011: http://goo.gl/7qdFg
(3) UNAIDS World AIDS Day report 2011: http://goo.gl/XQtXb
(4) UNICEF Opportunity in Crisis 2011: http://goo.gl/1cXRH
(5) HIV Stigma Index: http://www.stigmaindex.org/

18 (b) i.
The above stated goals of the .HIV TLD leads to two basic concepts of usage proposed to registrants: Firstly, the .HIV namespace offers the possibility to register thematically bound domain names linked to the AIDS response. Registrants are free to use them as they want: Everybody engaged with the topic is invited to register an .HIV domain name to give new or existing HIV-related content enhanced visibility within the web. This content will stem from a variety of registrants: international organizations, NGOs, individuals and the medical industry. It also will come in various forms: from activists' blogs and forums, NGOs' or doctors' homepages to microsites presenting HIV related corporate social responsibility programs of companies. Because of the strong recognition value of the string ".HIV" as well as the absence of trademarks on the same acronym, we don't expect .HIV domain names be attractive for random use.
Secondly, .HIV offers an easily accessible deployment of .HIV websites as virtual Red Ribbons: websites with the ending .HIV may also function as twin sisters of known sites: a click on a .HIV website forwards to the standard-homepage. The Internet user will have the exact same result at pepsi.com and pepsi.hiv (see our response to Question #18b(iii): user experience). This usage corresponds to a very common deployment of domain names as additional entrance doors to a main web presence: in Q1/2011, 30,3% of all .info sites have been redirected to another TLD (see: Attachment Q48_2_Afilias2011_presentation_newdomainsorg).

What unites .HIV websites in the perception of Internet users is that every visit is a small act of good: It leads to a micro-donation to charitable organisations engaged in the AIDS response. These donations ("micro" in the sense of substantially less than 1 EUR Cent) are financed through the domain-sale: dotHIV uses all revenues exceeding operational costs for the charitable purpose. Those surpluses fill a growing pool of funds, which is activated through the clicks of the users. The process behind this principle it easily executed and does not constitute a registry service: The number of visits will be compiled either through the DNS-data at hand through the standard reporting of our back-end provider Afilias or by a third party partner also on a pro bono basis.
Additionally, registrants may choose to give the micro donation effect of their .HIV domain additional visibility: our cooperation partner, the online agency kt change, will offer registrants a set of pre-designed banners, pop-up layer and widgets communicating their participation, which the registrants are free to integrated in the web design of their standard homepage. (for further details, please consult our answer to Question #47/Marketing)
These two concepts of usage, combined with traffic generation through micro-donation, build the specialty of the .HIV TLD, which is of interest for three distinct target groups in terms of registrants:
1) Entities in the medical field related to HIV/AIDS treatment and care may register .HIV domain names as company websites or special offer micro-sites and benefit from enhanced visibility, a stronger connection of the web address to their professional identity and the related search engine optimization effects.
2) Corporates engaged in the social field of HIV/AIDS via their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programs obtain an easy and playful way to communicate this engagement to their end customer. The virtual Red Ribbon is a way to strengthen the social character of their brands and gain positive reputation. Companies not yet attached to the topic may chose a .HIV domain as a creative starting point to combine their online marketing activities with a good cause.
3) The nexus of communities linked to the AIDS response benefits in a comprehensive way from the .HIV namespace. All actors socially engaged in the topic - from activists to public entities - gain a renewed visibility for their purpose and their domain name. NGOs and international organizations, which work in the field, will have the additional benefit of being offered ‘their' .HIV domain name at a strongly reduced registration fee. Also, it's them who gain an additional source of funding for their project activities with the money raised through registration fees.
All registrants benefit from the high reputation of the TLD and the initiative as a whole enhanced through targeted marketing campaigns.

For Internet users, the .HIV TLD builds a virtual namespace directly linked to a specific cause. The social identity, supported by major brands and professionals as registrants, gives the namespace a distinct reputation. .HIV domains make it easier to identify topic-related content and organizations engaged in the field. In terms of specialty, the micro-donation model offers a new level of involvement to Internet users: simply by making their choice for a special domain name they can do something good in contributing to the AIDS response.
Registrants and Internet users are vital parts of the dotHIV movement. They both donate to the cause via registration fee or their special attention to .HIV domains. The benefits of the .HIV TLD come together in the image of the virtual Red Ribbon: Buying it involves a donation for the cause, wearing it is simple and easily integrated in your web presence as a registrant and in your day-to-day life as an Internet user.
In a broader sense, the .HIV TLD benefits people affected by HIV and AIDS around the globe: By building a movement giving their cause a new public perception, by reducing stigma and funding projects aimed at their well-being.

18 (b) ii.
The .HIV TLD has distinctive strengths compared to existing and publicly discussed new gTLDs.
In terms of competition, the .HIV TLD has the potential to develop a unique communicative power.
Not only do .HIV domain names lead to web content, they are for themselves bearers of meaning. Unlike any other TLD, .HIV tells a story that registrants can use to enrich their own. This boost of social identity is a tool that registrants can use all year round or only on special occasions - during their own HIV related campaigns (e.g. "Designers against AIDS") or on the globally known World AIDS Day (December 1st). .HIV domains are a new means of online communication, connecting brands and entities working in the field to a global community of socially conscious young people. As part of a company's domain name portfolio, .HIV domains can be deployed for cause related online marketing.
We emphasize this feature by establishing the .HIV TLD itself as an independent brand in the eyes of the broader public: On the solid basis of the worldwide perception of HIV as an important issue, dotHIV communicates the .HIV TLD as a positive mass-based movement: It shall stand for the chance of many achieving something great together, in deploying the creative potential of modern communication and information technologies and in taking small steps at a time. Unlike existing TLDs, .HIV is charged with its own brand identity.
In terms of differentiation, the .HIV TLD offers a string of nearly unique recognition value to registrants and Internet users. HIV stands for the Human Immunodeficiency Virus and is understood all over the world: 34% of young people (15-24 years) all over the world not only know what it stands for, but also how to protect themselves (see UNITED NATIONS 2011, Reference (3) at Question #18a). Much too little from a prevention perspective, but impressive compared to other acronyms. Also, unlike other abbreviations and terms, the string HIV in Latin script is recognized interculturally, even if spelled inversely in roman languages (e.g. French / Spanish: VIH) or has its own symbols e.g. in Mandarin spelling. This power of meaning, memorability and self-explanation builds the basis of the .HIV TLD and its global outreach, helps to communicate the story behind dotHIV to Internet users and strengthens the professional alignment of registrants working in the field.

In terms of innovation, the micro-donation mechanism described in answer 18b)ii adds an incentive to .HIV domains which is equally gainful for registrants and Internet users. For registrants, it makes their .HIV domains more attractive, assuring that Internet users actually visit the new domain. This is especially important for those registrants who choose a .HIV domain as part of their domain name portfolio, wearing the virtual Red Ribbon mainly for the purpose of cause related online marketing. For Internet users, .HIV domains are the first to be chosen and visited not only for the content but also for the TLD itself because they offer them much more than other domains: a small donation for good with every visit.
With its new approach to use a TLD as a communication tool for a global cause, engaging companies, professional experts and Internet users and pushing for broad visibility through story-based marketing, the .HIV TLD can foster the visibility of the domain market as a whole. The new gTLD program brings innovation and competition to a market space that is scarcely known by a broader public. We see our work in alliance with ICANN's slogan "One World, One Internet" and firmly believe, that we can contribute to a broader understanding of the potential lying in new TLD namespaces.

18 (b) iii.
The .HIV TLD offers registrants and Internet users a namespace with highest technical reliability. Afilias as the provider for back-end services has the most extensive experience in new gTLD operation with 5 new gTLDs launched in recent years. As back-end service provider for .org, Afilias is aware of the special requirements in the management of a not-for-profit TLD. The company's experience and presence on the international market allows ideal technical assistance and availability around the globe.
.HIV domain names will be available in as many IDN scripts as possible up to the date of application (see our answer to Question #44): The extensive IDN tables give registrants and Internet users the ability to employ and connect to .HIV domains in their home's scripts and languages and thereby reflect the global nature of the TLD's cause.
Registrants will experience a namespace with high recognition value which assembles a high percentage of consumer oriented brands and professional experts. The shared purpose gives the .HIV registrants a common identity, which will be fostered through the registry by extensive marketing activities. Registrants will be able to find their favoured domain name through standard procedures at a broad basis of registrars worldwide without eligibility requirements (except for sunrise and organizations eligible for reduced registration fees). To most of them, .HIV domains will be a valuable addition to their domain name portfolio.
Internet users experience .HIV domains as a new way of surfing. For the first time, clicking on a specific TLD domain name makes a difference. The micro-donation principle offers an easy way of doing good, enhanced by immediate feedback. .HIV domains involve a high degree of gamification, involving active decision making, feedback experience and the offer of further participation. User integration doesn't stop with the micro-donation system: we integrate the surfing experience in further participation possibilities. Social media communities on facebook, twitter and google+ give users virtual platforms to join and interact with the initiative. The distribution of funds to HIV/AIDS charities will integrate Internet users in an open voting process, giving them highest transparency and a say in where the money goes (see our answer to Question #47/Other operational costs: Donation allocation).
Ultimately, dotHIV aims at bringing a new spirit in the AIDS response, sensitizing Internet users and registrants for the topic and strengthening prevention and the fight of HIV stigma.

18 (b) iv.
* Name selection *
We will offer registrations at the second level. The .HIV namespace will not be structured by the registry operator through neutral second level domains such as org.hiv. In general, domains will be offered for periods of one to ten years, but no more than ten years. Initial registrations made in the Sunrise period will have to be registered for an initial period of at least three years.

* Allocation Phases *
The roll-out of the .HIV TLD is anticipated to feature the following:
1. Reservation of reserved names and premium names (see below).
2. Sunrise: the required period for trademark owners to secure their domains before availability to the general public. This registration phase will feature applications for domain strings exclusively verified by the Trademark Clearinghouse process as implemented by ICANN.
For full details of the Sunrise policies and the Trademark Claims Service according to ICANN requirements, please see our response to Question 29, "Rights Protection Mechanisms."
3. General Availability period: real time registrations made on a first come basis.
4. After the start of the General Availability period: auction of premium names

* Reserved Names *
We will reserve the following classes of domain names, which will not be generally available to registrants via the Sunrise or subsequently:
1. All of the reserved names required in Specification 5, 1-2 and 4 of the new gTLD Registry Agreement.
2. The geographic names required in Specification 5, 5 of the new gTLD Registry Agreement. Please see our response to Question 22 ("Protection of Geographic Names") for details.
3. dotHIV will reserve its own name and variations thereof as well as registry operations names (such as registry.hiv, and www.hiv).
4. We will also reserve names related to ICANN and Internet standards bodies (iana.hiv, ietf.hiv, w3c.hiv, etc.), for delegation of those names to the relevant organizations upon their request. Reservation of this type of names was standard in ICANN's past gTLD contracts.
5. All national capitals.
6. City names in the English and original languages (including all German cities with a number of inhabitants of more the 50.000, all US cities with a number of inhabitants of more then 100.000, all remaining global cities with a number of inhabitants of more than 1.000.000.
7. Domains which contain or refer to the names or the major concepts of the five world religions Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism and Judaism in the English language and in the five other UN-languages.
8. Non-for-profit organizations engaged in the AIDS response (including leading German, US and international organizations).
9. Premium-Domains (including generic names with a direct link to the AIDS response).
10. Domain names of influential people and celebrities as well as the names of individuals specifically engaged in the fight against AIDS.
11. Certain domains, which contradict the goals of the .HIV domain namespace or promote abuse.

dotHIV will define a policy on who will be eligible to register the reserved names.
dotHIV will also establish a policy which of those names will be made available to the general public if they are not registered by the eligible registrant within a certain period of time.

The registry will also designate a set of premium names, which will be set aside for distribution via special mechanisms. Premium names have been a standard feature of gTLD and ccTLD rollouts since 2005.
The premium names will be distributed via auctions. We intend to contract with an established auction provider that has conducted domain auctions before. This will ensure that there is a tested, trustworthy technical platform for the auctions, auditable records, and reliable collection mechanisms. With our chosen auction provider we will create and post policies and procedures that ensure clear, fair, and ethical auctions.

* Dispute Resolution, Anti-Abuse *
dotHIV's anti-abuse and dispute resolution mechanism policies are discussed in detail in our response to the technical questions.

18 (b) v.
Data Collection and Use Policy:
So that registrants can understand how their personal data might be used, we will notify registrars of the purposes for which personally identifiable data is collected and used and we cannot use that data in ways that is incompatible with the notice provided to registrars. We must therefore create a data collection and use policy that anticipates all the data that the registry can collect and the ways it may want to use it.

dotHIV's privacy and data use policies are as follows:
1. As registry operator, we do not plan on selling bulk WHOIS data. We will not sell contact data in any way. We will not allow, enable, or otherwise support the transmission by e-mail, telephone or facsimile of mass unsolicited commercial advertising or solicitations.
2. We may use registration data in the aggregate for marketing purposes.
3. DNS query data will never be sold in a way that is personally identifiable.
4. We may, from time to time, use the demographic data collected for statistical analysis, provided that this analysis will not disclose individual Personal Data and provided that such use is compatible with the notice provided to registrars regarding the purpose and procedures for such use.
Details of the implementation of these policies can be found in our response to the technical questions.

We will allow the use of proxy services, which may protect the personal data of registrants. Generally we are aware that there are parties who may use privacy services to protect their free speech rights, or to avoid religious or political persecution. Specifically we intend to create an anonymous communication platform for HIV-positive individuals who face discrimination as well as criminalization in various countries and societies.

18 (b) vi.
Outreach and communication are crucial for the success of the .HIV TLD. Working with experienced partners and having strong communication expertise in the team, we will concentrate our activities in the two start markets USA and Germany. With their strong online und international economies and a solid network of marketing headquarters, media partners and communication experts, we expect to kickstart the dotHIV movement quickly. Activities will focus on three target groups:
Communicative outreach to the nexus of communities engaged in the AIDS response has been a priority for us from day one. Through social media, one-to-one communication and its expert board, dotHIV informs and integrates experts and activists. Participation in conferences, symposia and awards, association memberships and expert interviews build the basis for outreach.
Business-to-business campaigns are planned from 2013 onwards to address corporates and brands as well as companies working in the medical field. They will centre around the marketing benefits of .HIV domains and focus on professional journals and events. First-movers that publicly announce partnerships with dotHIV and celebrities won as ambassadors will help to boost market interest.
With the general availability of .HIV domains a broad image campaign will start to build the positive image of the .HIV TLD as a movement, motivating Internet users to visit .HIV domains and further strengthening the demand for .HIV domains through consumer expectation.
Please find more information on dotHIV's communication and marketing strategy in our answer to Question #47/Marketing.

In the Sunrise period, which will be exclusively conducted according to the Trademark Clearing House Process, there may be multiple generally valid applications for a particular domain name. In this case the domain will be awarded based on which registrant put the application in first.
(This process is described fully in our response to Question #29) ("Rights Protection Mechanisms").
In the General Availability period domains will be awarded in real time, on a first-come, first-serve basis.

There will be a fee for each Sunrise application received. This fee will help defray the costs of implementing the Trademark Clearinghouse and Trademark Claims Service, both of which ICANN requires. We have not yet determined the exact amount of the fee, which may depend upon market conditions and the technical details of ICANN's Trademark Clearinghouse, which we must comply with. But we intend that the fees be fair and appropriate. The Sunrise application fee will help discourage speculative registrations.

Our registrars will enjoy fair and equitable access to the registry and equitable treatment in other interactions. We will make this promise in our registry-registrar agreement. The registry operator shall not apply standards, policies, procedures or practices arbitrarily, unjustifiably, or inequitably, and shall not single out a Registrar for disparate treatment unless justified by substantial and reasonable cause.

As a matter of operational practice:
1. Each registrar will have a minimum number of guaranteed connections to the registry, which may be increased based on traffic.
2. We will not discriminate between traffic from different registrars or throttle one registrar's transactions in favor of another.
3. We will not discriminate between registrars when providing technical support or customer service.
4. All registrars will be subject the same credit and payment policies, which will be posted to the registry website.
WHOIS Rate Limiting and WHOIS Terms of Use: Our registry will have a binding WHOIS rate limiting policy and a WHOIS Terms of Use. Abuse of WHOIS services at the registry level will subject to an automated rate-limiting system that ensures that service to users is unaffected by a few parties whose activities abuse or otherwise might threaten to overload the WHOIS system. Data mining of any sort on the WHOIS system will be strictly prohibited without prior written permission.
Users of WHOIS will bound by industry-standard terms of use, which prevent use of WHOIS for certain uses, such as to facilitate spamming and telemarketing. The registry operator will reserve the right to take all appropriate actions should data-mining activities be observed on its WHOIS system.


18 (c) ii. Explain any cost benefits for registrants you intend to implement.
We intend to establish a policy, which will ensure favourable pricing for charitable organizations engaged in the AIDS response to support them in their effort.


18 (c) iii. Do you intend to make contractual commitments to registrants regarding the magnitude of price escalation?
dotHIV does not plan to make contractual commitments to registrars as of today. Estimations about future market and price developments will be purely speculative and therefore not reasonable. However dotHIV will comply with the rules for price increases set forth in the new gTLD Registry Agreement. .HIV domains will be available through accredited registrars who will be provided with equal (non-discriminatory) access to registry services. Premium names and reserved names for auction will have a discreet pricing.
According to the details as specified in the New gTLD Registry Agreement dotHIV will have the right to reduce pricing for promotional purposes in a manner available to all accredited registrars. In case of price increases dotHIV will comply with the rules ICANN established to initiate an increase in the wholesale price. In case of price increases dotHIV will notify all accredited registrars well in advance.

We will protect names with national or geographic significance by reserving the country and territory names at the second level and at all other levels within the TLD as per the requirements in the New TLD Registry Agreement (Specification 5, paragraph 5).

We will employ a series of rules to translate the geographical names required to be reserved by Specification 5, paragraph 5 to a form consistent with the ʺhost namesʺ format used in domain names considering the Governmental Advisory Committee (GAC) advice "Principles regarding new gTLDs", these domains will be blocked at no cost to governments, public authorities or IGOs, before the TLD is introduced (Sunrise), so that no parties may apply for them. We will publish a list of these names before Sunrise so our registrars and their prospective applicants can be aware that these names are reserved.

We will define a procedure so that governments can request the above reserved domain(s) if they would like to take possession of them. This procedure will be based on existing methodology developed for the release of country names in the .INFO TLD. For example, we will require a written request from the country's GAC representative, or a written request from the country's relevant Ministry or Department. We will allow the designated beneficiary (the Registrant) to register the name, with an accredited Afilias Registrar, possibly using an authorization number transmitted directly to the designated beneficiary in the country concerned.

As defined by Specification 5, paragraph 5, such geographic domains may be released to the extent that Registry Operator reaches agreement with the applicable government(s). Registry operator will work with respective GAC representatives of the country's relevant Ministry of Department to obtain their release of the names to the Registry Operator.

If internationalized domain names (IDNs) are introduced in the TLD in the future, we will also reserve the IDN versions of the country names in the relevant script(s) before IDNs become available to the public. If we find it advisable and practical, we will confer with relevant language authorities so that we can reserve the IDN domains properly along with their variants.

Regarding GAC advice regarding second-level domains not specified via Specification 5, paragraph 5: All domains awarded to registrants are subject to the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP), and to any properly-situated court proceeding. We will ensure appropriate procedures to allow governments, public authorities or IGO's to challenge abuses of names with national or geographic significance at the second level. In its registry-registrar agreement and flowing down to registrar-registrant agreements, the registry operator will institute a provision to suspend domains names in the event of a dispute. We may exercise that right in the case of a dispute over a geographic name.