.moe Pre-Register Domain - .moe Domain Information

The new gTLD program instituted by ICANN represents a major milestone in the evolution of Internet history and a new way forward in the way users interact and navigate the web.
　
Interlink is applying for the ".moe" top-level domain (TLD) to create a new online identity for a niche community. The word "moe" (in Japanese: "萌え"; pronounced as "moh-ay") is a slang word in Japanese that has a deeper meaning than any English definition of the word suggests.

The word "moe" began as a buzzword for a subculture of "otaku" (most closely related English term: "geek") in Japan in the 90's. Originally derived from the verb "moeru" which means to bud, or to sprout, "moe" is often used to describe a feeling of excitement towards some object or character, mainly in animation, manga (Japanese comic books), and video games. It has often been used to mean a particular type of "adorable" or "cute" towards fictional characters and was originally used in relattion to a type of fascination with fantasy.

The otaku culture in Japan is very relevant in today's Japanese society, socially and economically. A look through Japan's local and widely popular social networking website's communities section (Mixi Communities) identifies over 10 million members of communities that can be recognized as part of the otaku culture. The otaku culture coupled with the boom of mobile Internet use in Japan has truly given life to the word "moe", which in 2005, was named as a one of the top Japanese word of the year.

Today, the word takes on a more expansive meaning somewhat deviating from just the adoration of the fantastical. One can feel or experience "moe" or "burning passion" for all kinds of things, not just animation, or fantasy characters. For example, one can express a feeling of "moe" when looking at a cute puppy or kitten. In fact, there are even individuals who express their fascination for architecture using the term "moe". "Moe" is a very versatile word that can be used as a noun, a verb, and even an adjective.

Interlink intends to introduce the ".moe" top-level domain to self-identified otaku's everywhere. The mission and purpose of ".moe" can be broken down into two key areas; creating a new online identity for users who identify with the otaku culture, and the operation of a safe, stable, and secure TLD for Internet users everywhere. Each key component of Interlink's mission is further described below.


1. Creating a New Online Identity

The New gTLD program is a tremendous opportunity to usher in a new era of innovation on the Internet. Interlink has been involved in providing Internet related services since its inception in 1995 when its entry into the market as an Internet Service Provider was met with over 2,500 other companies looking to take advantage of the Internet boom. Interlink has a strong foundation in providing personal, customized, and customer-focused services which has enabled it to manage a consistent client base and to outlast nearly 90 percent of its competitors.

Interlink prides itself of on the creation of fun, and sometimes quirky content for its customers, that has given Interlink a great amount of differentiation among its competitors. For example, Interlink has built a strong community around its widely popular Otaku Senryu (Geek Poem) contest since which began back in 2005 in which users submit a poem (similar to a haiku) on various topics, mainly related to anything "otaku." This year's poem contest drew over 20,000 participants, and was covered nationally with television spots and articles on MSN Japan and Yahoo! Japan, among others. Interlink has been dedicated to serving individuals who consider themselves otaku's for over seven years and today Otaku Senryu has over 100,000 subscribers.

Individuals who identify themselves as otaku are very enthusiastic, and demanding consumers; Interlink's mission in managing ".moe" is to create an online community to serve as a platform for Internet users who view themselves as part of what "moe" and "otaku" culture embodies. The introduction of the ".moe" top-level domain will bring about new and exciting choices for consumers when selecting a domain name to build their online identities with. Interlink believes that the ".moe" TLD presents a more appropriate, more desirable choice of domain names than currently offered under non-specific TLDs today such as .JP, or .COM.

Interlink believes that individual consumers will make up the majority of registrations in the ".moe" top-level domain, and that the TLD will be popular among companies that produce related content. Interlink anticipates that ".moe" will be very attractive to the moe culture due to its personal and unique connotation. Individuals who see themselves as part of the moe culture will finally have access to a domain space that they can use to interact with other likeminded groups, or businesses. Businesses that produce a genre of content that fits the ".moe" culture will also be likely registrants of ".moe" domain names in order to communicate their activities to customers.

In order to engage all Internet users and domain registrants, Interlink proposes to operate the ".moe" top-level domain as an unrestricted (generic) and unsponsored TLD and believes that the introduction of ".moe" will create new markets and avenues for online participation from the otaku's and consumers around the world who identify with the moe culture.


2. Operate a Safe, Stable, and Secure TLD

Interlink has made it a priority to make ".moe" a safe, stable and secure TLD to gain the trust of registrants and users and is fully aware of the firm financial commitments needed to properly manage a TLD from a technical perspective and to protect against negative effects on the stability and security of the Internet. Furthermore, Interlink understands that down time due to poorly managed registry systems will have lasting commercial consequences. Interlink has contracted Neustar Inc., for backend registry services in order to effectively minimize risks related to technical operations. Interlink selected Neustar due to its significant experience running existing gTLDs and ccTLDs as well as the company's track-record of successfully operating secure and stable TLDs.

In addition to running a technically sound operation, Interlink believes that registration policies and abuse policies play a major role in creating and maintaining an Internet namespace that truly serves its intended registrants and users. Interlink has fully described its registration policies in response to Question 18B, as well as its policies to protect consumers social costs in answer to Question 18C. Finally, draft language for an Acceptable Use Policy can be found in the response to Question 28.

Interlink's proposal to operate the ".moe" TLD fully meets all of ICANN's technical criteria as well as the financial criteria, including having already secured a letter of credit from its bank to ensure continuing operations for over three years.

The current gTLD domain space is dominated by a handful of gTLDs, and Interlink anticipates that several great alternatives to the current domain space will be approved through the new gTLD Program. Internet users will be given the opportunity to easily register a domain name that better suits their needs. Through educational marketing, more and more users will become aware of these alternatives. Interlink fully anticipates that several competing strings such a ".hobby", ".geek" will be introduced alongside ".moe", and fully believes that those TLDs will be a hit among their intended markets. Interlink is confident that addition of ".moe" will add greater competition and specificity to the Internet and will be better suited to serve customers in Japan, and those who follow Japanese culture, animation, or manga. The ".moe" TLD is certainly a viable alternative to other generic word gTLDs currently in existence today and will add competition to those that will be applied for in this round of new gTLD applications. By maintaining an open namespace (a TLD that is free from registration restrictions) Interlink can ensure that ".moe" excels at being a platform for individual expression.

Interlink has been an active member of the ICANN community for over six years and has gained a deep appreciation for the transparency of the multi-stakeholder model within which ICANN operates. With the delegation of ".moe", Interlink commits to fully comply with ICANNʹs requirement to cooperate with economic studies regarding the launch of new gTLDs. Interlink believes that providing such data is key to enhancing the DNS and ensuring the success of future TLD implementations to benefit global Internet users.


i. What is the goal of your proposed gTLD in terms of areas of specialty, service levels, or reputation?

A TLD registry must establish consumer confidence and build trust among users. To do so, the registry must have adequate understanding of technical requirements, policy implications on business, and the needs of the registrar communities as well as the end users.

As previously described, Interlink has been providing customer focused Internet related services since 1995, and has been involved with domain names since the year 2000, when it first began working as a domain reseller and has attended nearly all ICANN meetings since becoming an ICANN accredited registrar in 2006. Interlink is fully committed to providing the best overall service with regards to its operation of ".moe".

Interlink has teamed up with Neustar, a world-class registry services provider, and Iron Mountain, the industryʹs most trusted Registry Data Escrow provider, in order to provide high service levels and build and maintain a reputation as a safe and secure TLD. These providers are highly reputable, and together with their high quality services, Interlink can be confident that ".moe" will meet or exceed all service level requirements. By teaming up with the best in the business, Interlink can more fully focus resources on recruiting and working with the industryʹs top registrars to offer first rate services to end users, all while having piece of mind that its technical infrastructure is solid and secure.


ii. What do you anticipate your proposed gTLD will add to the current space, in terms of competition, differentiation, or innovation?

Currently there are 22 gTLDs in use on the Internet today, however, most novice Internet users are only accustomed to seeing, .com, .net, and .org. .biz and .info on the right-most side of domain names. gTLDs that have been introduced in since ICANN's inception have been able to build up a steady number of names. Some have drastically reduced pricing to do so, and therefore have an abundance of non-useful names, parking web pages, spam sites, and phishing sites. According to a report compiled by McAfee, Mapping the Mal Web in 2010, Internet criminals choose to register domain names in a TLD based on the prices, regulations, and the ease of registration. This makes generic top-level domains and non-regulated, inexpensive ccTLDs prime targets for cyber criminals. (The full report can be located at the following URL: http://www.mcafee.com/cf/about/news/2010/q4/20101026-02.aspx)

The ".moe" TLD is designed to serve a specific niche Internet community, and therefore is not intended to be a competitor to existing gTLDs mentioned above. The strings meaning, in and of itself, differentiates it from TLDs in the namespace today. As briefly described above, in doing its research, Interlink has identified that gTLDs such as ".hobby" or ".geek" may be applied for in the same new gTLD round as its application for ".moe", and is confident that its proposed TLD is a viable alternative to all and allows a greater ability for self-expression than its alternatives.

".moe" has distinct meaning to the niche community it seeks to serve, and Interlink believes that it will be a natural selection for registrants who see themselves as part of this niche community. Additionally, Interlink anticipates that ".moe" will be a popular choice among many businesses that target online communications toward this community.


iii. What goals does your proposed gTLD have in terms of user experience?

One of Interlink's core goals is to create a high quality namespace that serves the registrants of ".moe". To accomplish this goal, Interlink believes that it will need to attract legitimate registrations where actual use of the domain name occurs. Interlink envisions managing a TLD with a high usage rate which will allow for a greater user experience. When consumers navigate to a page under a ".moe" domain name they need to be able to have the assurance that the content will be useful.

Interlink has carefully considered various factors that will likely play a role in creating a successful TLD and a great user experience for users of ".moe". Among the factors analyzed were; potential user base, marketing techniques used in today's TLDs, and an analysis of how various price points impact the number, quality; and type of registrations and associated content.

Interlink has worked closely with its backend provider, Neustar, to come up with a viable plan to launch a successful registry that achieves Interlink's intended goals as described above. These factors were taken into account and have been implemented in Interlink's business approach as described in Questions 45-50.

In order to encourage implementation of the ".moe" TLD, promote competition among registrars, and build solid sales channels for the TLD, Interlink will not apply restrictions on which ICANN accredited registrars may connect to the registry system for the provision of ".moe" domain names. All ICANN accredited registrars will have the ability to test their connectivity with the systems and sign an agreement with Interlink after passing operational and testing phases. Additionally, Interlink is committed to fully complying with the Registry Operator Code of Conduct as described in Specification 9 of the New gTLD Registry Agreement.

Interlink will use a proven system with industry-standard connect-ability, and can ensure that all current ICANN accredited registrars have immediate access to the registry system upon execution of the Registry-Registrar agreement and passing all requisite operational testing. The utilization of a proven registry system, which already maintains over 300 registrar connections globally (and has connections with the majority of Japanese registrars), will positively affect the integration pace of ".moe" among registrars who wish to sell the TLD, thereby rapidly growing sales channels.


iv. Provide a complete description of the applicant's intended registration policies in support of the goals listed above.

In addition to creating a unique and exciting namespace for a niche market, Interlink believes that to maintain a safe, stable and reliable environment for registrars and registrants. Interlink proposes that ".moe" shall be an open, unrestricted top-level domain for all consumers. The objective of the registry is to achieve seamless implementation by participating ICANN accredited registrars in order to easily allow legitimate registrations by all consumers.

Interlink has developed the following policies to facilitate in reaching our goals:

　1. ".moe" Domain Name Eligibility Requirements
　2. Acceptable Use Policy
　3. Reserved Names
　4. Founders Program
　5. Sunrise Launch Policies
　6. Landrush Launch Policies
　7. ICANN Consensus Policies and Proposed Rights Protection Mechanisms


1. ".moe" Domain Name Eligibility Requirements

".moe" Domain Name Eligibility Requirements defines who or what entities can register a domain name, the types of names that maybe registered, as well as the technical criteria for allowable labels within the ".moe" top-level domain. Interlink will launch the TLD in with the following stages; Sunrise Period, Founders Program, Landrush Period, and finally a General Registration Period. The general policies for each of the launch phases are described further below.

1a Registrant Restrictions

No restrictions on who or what entities can register a domain name. All registrants must apply for registration, renewal and transfer of domain names through an ICANN accredited registrar that has signed an agreement with the registry operator, Interlink Co., Ltd. Furthermore, Interlink will make a list of registrars available on its web ".moe".

1b Domain Name Restrictions

A domain name that will be accepted as valid for registration is a domain name that;

　• has not been blocked or reserved by the registry (see Reserved Names policy below)
　• meets the technical requirements (defined below)
　• has not already been registered (registrants will be encouraged to use the WHOIS database provided by the
　　registry to ensure the availability of a domain)

Internationalized Domain Names (IDN) registrations in Japanese will be permitted in the ".moe" TLD. Additional information regarding Interlink's IDN implementation can be found in response to Question 44.


Technical Requirements

　• Labels containing letters ʺaʺ to ʺzʺ or ʺAʺ to ʺZʺ in standard US ASCII character set, the digits ʺ0ʺ to ʺ9ʺ and
　　the hyphen (ʺ-ʺ); (the registry plans to initially reserve all one and two letter domain names as briefly
　　described below under ʺ2. Reserved Namesʺ below. The release of one and two character strings will be
　　implemented at the registryʹs discretion.)
　• Labels may contain a maximum of 63 characters. (This does not include the ".moe" suffix)
　• Labels may not begin or end with a hyphen (ʺ-ʺ) and may not include a hyphen (ʺ-ʺ) in the third and fourth
　　positions unless they represent valid internationalized domain names in their ASCII encoding).


2. Acceptable Use Policy

The Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) is one of central policies of the ".moe" registry and will be implemented to ensure that the registry maintains the rights to protect the integrity of its registry and achieve its goal of maintaining a safe and stable operation. The policy further describes the process for applying for and registering, renewing, and transferring a ".moe" domain name as well as any restrictions, and how Interlink, the registry can enforce its policies. Additional details can be found in response to Question 28.


3. Reserved Names

This Reserved Names Policy satisfies ICANN contractual requirements and protects the interests of governmental organizations. Certain names on the Reserved Names List will also be utilized for the general promotion of the registry.

Interlink will reserve all names according to Specification 5 of the New gTLD Registry agreement as described below. Additionally, Interlink will, at it's own discretion, reserve other names it sees fit.

a. ʺExampleʺ

The term ʺexampleʺ will be reserved at the second level. No other levels will be available for registration.

b. Two-Character Labels:

All two-character labels will be initially reserved, however may be released in the event that the registry reaches an agreement with the relevant government or country code manager or so long as the implementation of the two-character labels does not cause confusion with existing country codes.

c. Tagged Domain Names:

These are names with hyphens in the third and fourth position that do not represent valid IDN (Internationalized Domain Names) in ASCII encoding.

d. Second-Level Reservations for Registry Operations:

The following names will be reserved or registry operations: NIC, WWW, IRIS, and WHOIS.

e. Country and Territory Names:

All country and territory names indicated in Specification 5 of the New gTLD Agreement will be initially reserved. A process for the release of these names as well as names listed above in ʺb. Two Character Labelsʺ is further described in question 22.


4. Founders Program

The ".moe" registry may elect to introduce an early domain adoption program, or founders program. The ".moe" founders program is an initiative recruit Internet users who are enthusiastic about ".moe" to come forward with their idea and plan to launch a name or names that will help relay the message about ".moe" to worldwide audiences.

It is anticipated that communications regarding this program will be launched as soon as the Registry Agreement with ICANN is signed. The registry will publish a proposal format and evaluate applications against predetermined criteria. Approved applicants will be required to agree to some basic terms and conditions and have their name launched before the official pubic launch of the registry. Specific timelines and criteria are currently under development and depend on the progress of this application for the ".moe" TLD.


5. Sunrise Launch Policies

The sunrise period allows Trademark holders to the first right to register their trademarks as ".moe" domain names. The sunrise period will run for at least a minimum of 30 days and a maximum of 60 days in total. Eligible participants in the sunrise phase will be constrained to those entities that a valid mark registered in the Trademark Clearinghouse.

In processing Sunrise applications, Interlink will collect all the applications submitted through ICANN accredited registrars throughout the duration of the sunrise period, and all applications will be considered as having been received at the same time. Interlink will verify that each application matches the data in the Trademark Clearinghouse. Duplicate applications having met the criteria specified by the registry will auctioned off at a later date. Interlink will fully publish details and policy related information regarding the auction on its website well in advance of the launch.

To ensure the protection of brand names, Interlink will employ the trademark claims services for the life of the registry. As of the submission date of this application, the Trademark Clearinghouse is still in the early stages of development and the actual protocol for connecting to the clearinghouse is not yet known. Further details regarding the sunrise launch can be found in answer to question 29.


6. Landrush Launch Policies

The registry will offer a landrush period in which any interested party will be permitted to submit one or more applications to purchase high value domains at reasonable costs. Only domain names that have not been reserved, restricted, registered will be available for this launch period. Applications in the landrush period will be accepted throughout the period and will be considered as accepted at the same time. At the end of the landrush period domain names for applications that do not have any competing applications will be approved and the domain name will be allocated to the registrant.

Applications for domain names having one or more competing applications will be auctioned at prescribed date and time.


7. ICANN Consensus Policies and Proposed Rights Protection Mechanisms

Additionally, Interlink is aware of and understands all current ICANN consensus policies listed at http://www.icann.org/en/general/consensus-policies.htm. As the registry operator for ".moe", Interlink will ensure continuing compliance with all existing and future consensus policies.

Interlink has committed to ensuring that all rights holders have adequate protections for their intellectual property assets in the ".moe" TLD and therefore, will implement all mandated Rights Protection Mechanisms as described in Part C below.


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.

Interlink takes the privacy of its users very seriously and will not market information obtained from registrars pertaining to registrants in any way. All data obtained with regards to a registration of a domain name will only be used for the purposes of running the ".moe" Registry. No personal data will be shared with unrelated third parties and such data will only be accessed in cases where the registry needs it to be necessary for the operation of ".moe".

All registrant data as required by the WHOIS policy and ICANN standards will be publicly available where the registrant does not use privacy registration services at their registrar of choice. Registrars will be responsible for ensuring the safety and security of the payment information used in conjunction with a domain name registration. A detailed discussion of the WHOIS database can be found in response to Question 26.

Interlink will notify each ICANN-accredited registrar of their requirement to adhere to specific consensus policies. Additionally Interlink is aware of the current work being done to analyze the current WHOIS model as well as the movement to improve it. Along with ourselves, our partners are involved deeply in the ICANN community and we commit to implementing any and all new procedures as approved by ICANN.


vi. Describe whether and in what ways outreach and communications will help to achieve your projected benefits.

Interlink believes that an effective and wide-spread marketing plan coupled with an effective distribution network will play a vital role in building consumer confidence in ".moe". Interlink will employ a strategy for creating a strong brand, consumer awareness, sales, and use of the TLD by influential people within the otaku culture. Interlink intends to launch the TLD a global scale with an emphasis on its largest market, Japan.

Interlink has a strong customer base to build from. Its Otaku Senryu (Geek Poem) campaign (http://www.575.cc/) currently has over 100,000 subscribers to its mail magazine, which is published on a monthly basis. Timing of the marketing and communications campaign may prove challenging due to several anticipated issues with timelines in the New gTLD evaluation process, however, Interlink will use appropriate judgment on when to implement and subsequently ramp up marketing communication and outreach programs. Interlink will strategically expand its marketing and outreach program to include overseas users as well. Interlink has sent staff to the annual Japan Expo (http://www.japan-expo.com/ )held in Paris for the past several years, and will ramp up its presence in order effectively communicate the addition of ".moe" to the namespace.

Timing of the marketing and communications campaign may prove challenging due to several anticipated issues with timelines in the new gTLD evaluation process, however, Interlink has set aside sufficient marketing funds and will use appropriate judgment on when to implement and subsequently ramp up marketing communication and outreach programs.

Numerous parties have expressed concerns over the introduction of the new gTLD program stating that new TLDs could harm consumer welfare due to consumer confusion. Trademark holders have also brought up the issue of new TLDs imposing additional costs due to the necessity of participating in "defensive" registrations.

Interlink believes that these concerns are valid and is confident that costs associated with these issues may be avoided by working together with the ICANN community to address the issues. The ICANN community has worked hard to implement new Rights Protection Mechanisms and rules for new TLDs that would minimize these costs. Interlink will fully comply with all consensus policies, including all ICANN required Rights Protection Mechanisms (RPMs), including:

　1. Trademark Clearinghouse
　2. Sunrise and Trademark Claims Process
　3. Uniform Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP)
　4. Uniform Rapid Suspension URS
　5. Trademark Post-Delegation Dispute Resolution Procedure (PDDRP)
　6. Registration Restriction Dispute Resolution Procedure (RRDRP)


1. Trademark Clearinghouse

The trademark clearinghouse is a mandatory RPM that as been developed in order to serve as a central repository for information to facilitate other RPMs such as the Sunrise Period and Trademark Claims process. Though this RPM is still under development, Interlink has joined the Implementation Assistance Group (IAG) to monitor the progress and provide feedback on solidifying the policy for its implementation. In addition, the back-end registry services provider for ".moe", Neustar, is actively playing a key role on the IAG to ensure that protections afforded by the clearinghouse and associated RPMs are feasible and implementable. Further information regarding the implementation of this mechanism can be found in reference to Question 29: Rights Protection Mechanisms.


2. Sunrise and Trademark Claims Process

The Sunrise Period is a mandatory launch phase that a registry is required to implement for a minimum of 30 days. As described above, the ".moe" Sunrise Period serves pre-launch phase in which eligible trademark owners have an opportunity to register second-level domains under the ".moe" TLD. Interlink has participated as a registrar, and a registrant in several sunrise periods, and its back-end registry service provider, Neustar has extensive experience in implementing sunrise registration periods, most recently under the .CO TLD. Interlink will build upon its own experience and the expertise of Neustar to ensure that a simple, seamless process is implemented.

The Trademark Claims process is tied into both the Trademark Clearinghouse and the Sunrise Period. The trademark claims process is also a mandatory RPM, which is intended as means to provide ʺclear noticeʺ to a potential registrant if he/she attempts to secure a domain name that matches a trademark that is currently registered in the Trademark Clearinghouse. Though only required by ICANN to implement for 60 days during open registrations, Interlink believes that implementing the service over the life of the registry will greatly reduce the number of cybersquatted domain names and other cases of abuse in its zone. Interlinkʹs back-end provider, Neustar became the first TLD with a Trademark Claims service with the launch of the .BIZ TLD in 2001 and Interlink plans to work closely with Neustar to ensure the service is run smoothly.

The sunrise implementation process is described in more detail above, and in response to Question 29: Rights Protection Mechanisms. More information about Interlinkʹs implementation of the Trademark Claims process can be found in answer to Question 29: Rights Protection Mechanisms.


3. Uniform Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP)

The UDRP is an ICANN Consensus Policy which was instituted in 1998. The UDRP provides trademark holders an alternative method to resolve domain name disputes. Interlink will monitor UDPR decisions regarding domains in the ".moe" zone and take the necessary steps to ensure that the decisions are implemented by its registrars. In the event that the registry is notified by a trademark owner that a registrar failed to implement a decision Interlink will investigate the claim and take action by either notifying the registrar of its obligations or by proactively implementing the decision itself.


4. Uniform Rapid Suspension (URS)

During the planning and policy discussion that took place in the past few years regarding the New gTLD Program, trademark owners identified that the UDRP may not be the most cost effective means to protecting trademark owners marks when there are hundreds of new TLDs in operation. Furthermore, the majority of UDRP cases were clearly cases of cybersquatting, however the UDRP did not produce immediate results. The URS is the result of many discussions with rights holders and offers a more cost effective and speedy mechanism for trademark owners to enforce their rights.

The URS requires a greater deal of participation from the registry than the UDRP. Interlink is fully aware of the requirements involved in the URS and has been actively monitoring the discussions and the development of the RPM. In the event that a ".moe" domain name is part of a URS proceeding, Interlink will follow the procedures outlined in the final policy.

According to the current draft procedures, Interlink will lock the name within 24 hours or receipt of the complaint from the URS provider in order to ensure the name is not transferred or deleted and to restrict all changes to the registration data. The name will continue to resolve as normal at this point.

Once a determination has been made, and the URS provider has received notification of such a decision, Interlink will act accordingly to implement the determination. Therefore, in the event of a decision for the complainant (trademark owner), Interlink will immediately suspend the name in accordance with the policy, currently for the balance of the registration period. Additionally, the name will no longer be allowed to resolve to the original web ".moe", thus the registry will change the nameservers to redirect to an informational page provided by the URS provider.

Finally, Interlink will take steps to ensure that the WHOIS information appropriately reflects the current status of the domain name. In doing so, Interlink will leave all the original registration data, except for the nameservers, in place, and clearly reflect that the domain name cannot be transferred, deleted, or modified for the remainder of the registration period.

The current draft policy states that there shall be an option for a successful complainant to extent the registration period for one additional year at commercial rates.
Additional details regarding the implementation of the URS can be found in response to Question 29: Rights Protection Mechanisms.

In addition to the implementation and compliance with proposed and existing rights protection mechanisms, Interlink will implement an Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) (described above in answer to "iv") that will effectively secure the registry's rights to swiftly takedown abusive domain registrations.

According to Dennis Carlton's study "Impact of New gTLD on Consumer Welfare," new gTLDs introduced as a result of the application round in 2000, such as .info and .biz, indicates that the need for defensive registrations in new gTLDs is limited. Interlink is confident that proposed rights mechanisms listed above and enforcement of the AUP will be sufficient to minimize social costs resulting from abusive domain registrations.


i. How will multiple applications for a particular domain name be resolved?

The goal of the registry is to maximize the total utility resulting from the creation of ".moe". Multiple applications for names under the Founders Program will be handled by objectively reviewing the application against the criteria set forth in the RFP. At which time, the Registry shall make a final selection based on how well each applicant fulfilled the evaluation criteria.

Multiple applications for the same domain name in both the Sunrise and Landrush will respectively be resolved by an auction as described in section (iv) related to domain registration policies. The use of an auction to allocate names with multiple legitimate applications will benefit sunrise applicants because they will not have to rush in order to be the first to submit such an application. This also reduces the load to the systems as in past first-come, first-served launches, applicants have been known to place registration requests with several other registrars in order to optimize their chances of being the first in line.

Settling competing applications though an auction mechanism is more desirable than a first-come, first-served method. This is due to a number of factors; for example, sunrise applicants (trademark holders) should not have to rush to submit an application for a domain name. If an applicant is forced to try to be first in line, the applicant is likely to submit a registration request through multiple registrars. This causes a sub-optimal use of energy on behalf of the applicant, and causes unnecessary work on behalf of the registrars and registry. Another important factor in Interlinkʹs decision to settle competing applications through an auction mechanism is due to the assumption that the highest bidder has more desire for the name, therefore, the winning applicant is likely provide more utility to Internet users.

The auction policy is briefly described below:

During the Sunrise and Landrush policies described above, there is a possibility that multiple, legitimate applications will be submitted by interested parties. These applications are considered ʺcompeting applicationsʺ and will result in an auction as a means to identify which applicant the domain name is allocated to.

Interlink is still evaluating potential partners to handle web-based auctions for competing domain requests. All potential partners have several years of experience in the domain name industry and have processed Sunrise and Landrush launches for several TLDs in the past.)

The general rules of the policy are standard to auctions that have existed for recent TLD launches. Each participant of the auction will receive a notification a certain time prior to the start of the auction and a subsequent email on the day of the auction that announces the commencement of the bidding. The Auction management system will notify participants of any bid changes as well as any extensions to the length of the auction. The winner will be announced at the close of the auction period and the domain name will be allocated accordingly.


ii. Explain any cost benefits for registrants you intend to implement.

The Registry will clearly communicate its registry policies and launch plans to potential registrants directly as well as though partner registrars. The registry will give special rights to governments to register their geographic names (names and two letter codes on the ISO 3166-1 list) at the second-level. The registry will offer the first rights to these names for a period of no less than a year. This special provision for governments will ensure that they have first rights to register their names for a minimal cost from an ICANN accredited registrar rather than have to dabble in the speculative markets.

Interlink will also hold a Sunrise and Landrush period as described in part "iv" above. Interlink anticipates that the several competing applications may be submitted in both periods, and, therefore, proposes to implement an auction mechanism as a fair way to solve the issue of competing applications. A traditional first come first served mechanism will create more load for registrars as one prospective registrant may choose to place the same application for a domain name through several registrars. Then there is the issue of which connection hits the registry first for a certain name.

An auction at the early stages of a registry will benefit registrants by allowing them to purchase the domain name for much less that the cost that they would incur in the domain aftermarket. Furthermore, an auction will allow the users to place a value on the domain name. It can be assumed that the bidder who places the higher bid places a higher value on the domain name, and therefore will be more likely to develop the domain name to be beneficial for Internet users.


iii. Do you intend to make contractual commitments to registrants regarding the magnitude of price escalation?

As stated in draft registry agreement in the New gTLD Applicant guidebook, the ".moe" registry will commit to only adjusting prices based on market conditions and staying consistent with the current inflation rate. The issue of price increases will be adequately reviewed on a biannual basis.

Interlink Co., Ltd, (Interlink) will implement strict policy restrictions concerning the registration and use of geographic names under the ".moe" top-level domain and will work closely with the Governmental Advisory Committee (GAC) and ccTLD managers to ensure that geographic names are adequately protected.


Two-Letter Domain Names

Country Code Top-Level Domains (ccTLDs) are two letter strings on the right side of the dot that correspond to the two-letter country codes for each country listed on the ISO 3166-1 list. Interlink will, at no cost of governments or public authorities, initially reserve all two-letter characters strings, inclusive of the country code names as defined on ISO 3166-1 and mandated by the New gTLD Registry Agreement (see Specification 5).

Use of two-letter strings as second level registrations in the ".moe" TLD may be permitted after Interlink reaches an agreement with relevant government or country-code TLD managers.

At its discretion, Interlink will propose usage of a limited number of two-letter strings for domain names that include, but are not limited to; company names, brand names, meaningful words, partial phrases, or local abbreviations. Interlink will inform each ccTLD manager and/or applicable government of proposals to use such names and reach an agreement with the ccTLD manager and/or applicable government before such a name is registered for use.


Country and Territory Domain Names

In addition to the initial reservation of two-letter country codes pursuant to the ISO-3166-1 list, Interlink will initially reserve country and territory names contained on the following internationally recognized lists:

　• ISO 3166-1 lists (including country, territory name, and its short form name in English)
　• The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names Technical Reference Manual for the
　　Standardization of Geographical Names, Part III Names of Countries of the World
　• The List United Nations member states in 6 official United Nations member states in 6 official United Nations
　　languages prepared by the Working Group on Country Names of the United Nations Conference on the
　　Standardization of Geographical Names

Interlink will cooperate with ICANN and the Governmental Advisory Committee (GAC) to expand such a list of reserved/protected geographic names at the second level should this be required. Additionally, the list will expand according to updates in any of the lists listed above.

The release of two-character domains will not occur until after a minimum of one full year of operations.


Procedure for Registration of Geographic Names by Relevant Authorities

During the reservation period, the Registry will allow the relevant government authorities to register their country name, or short form English name under the ".moe" TLD as a second level registration. The opportunity for such registrations will not be shorter that one year and will be available for governments until Interlink reaches an agreement with the GAC, relevant governments and/or ccTLD managers for the release of such names from the reserved names list. Upon reaching such an agreement, Interlink will notify governments of the registration deadline at least 3 months prior to the release of geographic names.

The process for registering a country name or its English short form equivalent as a second level domain name in the ".moe" TLD for a relevant government authority is as follows:

1. The Government or relevant authority contacts the GAC Secretariat with the requested domain name and relevant WHOIS information.

2. The GAC Secretariat will ensure the authenticity of the request and then send the request to the Interlink.

3. Interlink will verify the availability of the requested domain name; notify ICANN of the registration request.

4. Once confirmed by ICANN, the registrant government or beneficiary will then be able to register the through an ICANN-Accredited Registrar that has executed the Registry-Registrar Agreement with the Interlink.


Abuse of Geographic Names

After the release of geographic names governments will be able to submit a complaint directly to Interlink for a domain name that is not in compliance with the registration
policies. Interlink will ensure that the ʺ.moeʺ registry site has an easily identifaiable point of contact for abuse related inquires.