.rest Pre-Register Domain - .rest Domain Information

The .rest gTLD will provide an online zone for restaurants and corollary entities and services worldwide, and it will allow these entities to register names that are appropriate to their business name or service offering. The .rest gTLD will provide innumerable benefits to the entire restaurant universe (consumers and the industry alike) by providing simple, easily identifiable, and intuitive domain names for restaurants, restaurant guides, restaurant associations, food and restaurant critics, bloggers, chefs, restaurant groups, sites and services for restaurant employees, and other restaurant-related entities. It will provide a designated namespace where these entities can register domain names related to restaurants and the restaurant industry and where consumers can search for and easily locate them. Its use will include but not be limited to websites, emails, online applications, online transactions, social media, directories and any new usages of domain names.

The restaurant industry (and the hospitality industry in general) is growing worldwide, and according to some sources is expected to be worth US$2.1 trillion by 2015; however, newly launched restaurants fight (and often don't succeed) to obtain an appropriate domain name in the current TLD space. With 7 out of 10 eating-and-drinking establishments in the US alone being single unit operations- and with web presences becoming increasingly important both as business drivers (via online reservations and home delivery order services, for example) and sources of information about restaurants and the restaurant industry- it is crucial that a new domain is launched to address and service this growing and underserved market. The National Restaurant Association (USA) 2012 Restaurant Industry Forecast revealed the importance of an internet presence for restaurants, with 6 out of 10 adults indicating that they have ʺused the internet to visit a restaurant website, view a menu, or find out more about a restaurant they havenʹt been to beforeʺ (p. 31). This same report indicated that 36% of adults have placed dine-in, carry-out, or delivery orders online, 27% have made reservations online, and a further 27% have posted or read restaurant reviews on consumer-driven websites. Additionally, 53% of adults (and 68% of 18 - 34 year olds) revealed that they would be interested in placing their order online in advance. These figures clearly demonstrate the significant potential that the .rest domain holds for restaurants and the general public: being in possession of a short, appropriate, and easily locatable domain name will not only be vital for restaurants hoping to attract customers in a competitive environment but also provide a vital platform for innovation and key services to a general public hungry for access to restaurant-related information online.

By offering a zone specifically designed for and dedicated to this industry and the billions of consumers that patronise it, the .rest gTLD will provide increased consumer choice (opening up new and appropriate domain names both in ASCII and extended Latin IDN scripts), a reduction in the price spent on obtaining domain names (circumventing the exorbitant fees charged for valuable domains on the secondary market in the traditional TLD space), and improved user experience (allowing consumers to easily locate the domain name for which they are searching because of the intuitive domain name and capacity for registration in their local language).

The .rest gTLD will not only benefit the restaurant industry by allowing its members to obtain the most appropriate domain name possible as their web address - currently difficult and / or expensive in the traditional TLD space where valuable or appropriate names are no longer available on the primary market - but because the .rest gTLD is designed specifically for restaurants and corollary products and services, it will also direct consumers to the domains they are seeking, thereby reducing consumer confusion. It will assist with the reorganization of the DNS along more intuitive and economical lines and provide a digital signpost directing the public toward restaurant-related domains.

i. The .rest gTLD has been specifically designed to meet the requirements of registrants - the global restaurant industry and restaurant industry consumers. The domain will provide restaurants, industry stakeholders, and corollary entities with the unique opportunity to register the shortest, most intuitive, and most descriptive domain names possible while signposting their online presence as a member of the restaurant industry. Newly launched restaurants - of which there are millions worldwide each year - will no longer be at a disadvantage when establishing their internet presence; for the first time, they will have access to appropriate and attractively priced domain names (which will assist consumers with locating their internet presence and driving traffic to their sites). Restaurants that have previously compromised by registering long, non-descriptive, or language-inappropriate domain are also expected to reap the benefits of short, simple, and appropriate domain names.

The .rest gTLD is expertly positioned to grow in size and significance along with the restaurant industry and will provide a reliable technical service for restaurants, with an unprecedented level of technical security and stability (as it will adhere to ICANN's new gTLD requirements). A battery of logging and monitoring tools will protect the TLD from attack and disruption - allowing restaurants worldwide and internet users to have confidence in the domains.

The applicant Punto 2012 SA de CV ("Punto 2012" or "Applicant") is committed to ensuring the .rest gTLD becomes one of many trusted zones protecting registrants, rights holders, and internet users. To this end, it plans to implement a zero-tolerance policy on illegal content and a domain takedown policy in line with all ICANN requirements (UDRP, URS, etc.).

ii. The .rest gTLD will be the first TLD specifically designed to serve the needs of the global restaurant industry and its consumers, and it will perform the dual purpose of supplying restaurants with the most appropriate domain name for their business while providing the public with a means of easily locating and navigating these domains. It will provide the first legitimate alternative to current TLDs (generic and ccTLDs) while globalizing the restaurant industry's internet presence. It will allow restaurants who have previously been hampered by inappropriate or exorbitantly priced domain names to purchase a domain name and establish a web presence, promoting increased usage and utility, and creating a platform for innovation as the restaurant industry evolves.

The domain will simultaneously promote the restaurant industry and assist consumers with locating restaurant websites in an increasingly crowded and global Internet space. The .rest gTLD will be an entirely global domain, allowing restaurants and corollary entities to promote their restaurants and services without compromising on language or local usability.

Although the term "restaurant" is internationally understood, the 4-letter string "rest" holds more global appeal and is more locally sensitive, being the commencement for the word "restaurant" in 20+ languages (English, Spanish, French, German, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Czech, Portuguese, Latvian, Catalan, Galician, Estonian, Polish, Romanian, Dutch, Albanian, Croatian, Lithuanian, and Turkish). Punto 2012 fully supports ICANN's mission to expand the TLD space and introduce increased competition into new markets and languages, and we believe the adoption of the term - in addition to the .rest gTLD's support for IDN capability - accomplishes this goal.

iii. Punto 2012 intends for the .rest gTLD to be fair, reliable, easily identifiable, technically sound, and accurate - thereby fostering innovation and minimizing user confusion. The descriptive nature of the domain will encourage the construction of value-rich and informative websites; its global nature and inclusiveness will facilitate the spread of restaurant-themed domains into new markets, allowing previously underserved markets, restaurants and consumers to take advantage of the opportunities afforded by the TLD's introduction into the DNS. The .rest gTLD will allow web users worldwide to easily locate the domains they are searching for as well as be sure that these domains are a safe and legitimate space free from illegal content, malware, etc. (as discussed in responses to questions 28 and 29).

iv. In keeping with the spirit of global access, innovation, and competition promoted by the .rest gTLD and by the applicant, Punto 2012 believes that the registration of domains should be open to all parties for legitimate purposes. Due to the specific and descriptive nature of the string, it is expected that parties from outside the restaurant industry will not be interested in registering domain names; however, we do not wish to impose validation criteria as we believe it would only increase cost and restrict innovation - which goes against ICANN's and our goals for the TLD.

Punto 2012 does, however, intend to enforce an Acceptable Use Policy to ensure that the zone remains stringently protected from illegal content or activity, and the UDRP, URS, and all other ICANN-required rights protection mechanisms will form an integral part of the domain. Applicant will also provide additional rights protection mechanisms beyond ICANNʹs requirements as set forth in responses to questions 26, 28, and 29. To minimize abusive registrations, Punto 2012 will adopt an AUP that will allow it to cancel the registration of a domain name if the name is in violation of the Policy. Additionally, we will undertake communications efforts to encourage reporting and execute rapid takedown of domains in violation of the AUP.

Punto 2012 will engage with organizations serving and communicating with the restaurant industry worldwide and will work together to inform member restaurants about the opportunity. A global outreach initiative will ensure that restaurants and the general public are aware of the .rest gTLD and will encourage not only appropriate registrants to register and make use of their domain but also consumers to recognize and trust it. Although marketing efforts will be adapted to suit local markets and cultures, the common denominator will be to provide detailed information about the benefits of domain purchase both for restaurants and also the public at large.

As further detailed in the responses to questions 28 and 29, Punto 2012 will implement all rights protection mechanisms required by ICANN (including but not limited to the URS and the UDRP) and will additionally operate a Sunrise period for Trademark holders prior to General Availability (again, in accordance with all ICANN rules). Additional rights protection mechanisms, beyond ICANN requirements, are described in response to questions 26, 28, and 29.

A copy of the proposed Acceptable Use Policy can be found in response to question 29.

v. Applicant in its capacity of a TLD registry operator will not be providing any special services for protecting privacy or confidential information of registrants or end-users apart from those required by applicable laws, policies, agreements or technical standards. Some registry services include as their integral part, protection of usersʹ confidential information. Examples of such services are:
• SRS (protecting confidentiality of the EPP transfer authorisation codes)
• Dissemination of TLD zone files (protecting confidentiality of zone file FTP accounts credentials)

All registry services, including those described above, will be provided in accordance with the ICANN requirements and specifications to the Registry Agreement. The data security measures adopted by the Applicant are described in detail in the answer to question 30 ʺSecurity Policyʺ.

vi. Post-launch use of domains and the intrinsically descriptive nature of the TLD string will help accomplish Punto 2012's goal of ensuring public awareness and understanding of the .rest gTLD's intended purpose and use. The TLD string in and of itself is intuitive, navigable, readily available, and easily acquired - ensuring ready adoption and support by the intended entities, with usage of the domain promoting further awareness, understanding and adoption among intended registrants and users.

Additionally, The Applicant has broad experience in creating web directories of restaurants online, as well as helping restaurants develop their online presence to establish their marketing strategy through the Internet. They also have experience in offering web-based products such as e-commerce, hosting, and web design to different businesses which are not specifically involved in the food and beverage industry. Thanks to this experience, the individuals behind Punto 2012 intend to capitalize on their knowledge, experience and industry connections to ensure that the .rest gTLD meets the requirements of restaurant industry stakeholders, potential registrants, and the public. They plan to assist in educating their international peers about the domain so as to promote global understanding, support, adoption, and use. Punto 2012 is committed to ensuring that both registrants and the public understand the benefits engendered by the deployment of the .rest gTLD, and they pledge to engage not only with these entities but also the registrar channel to promote and educate stakeholders and the public at large about the domain.

To this end, Punto 2012 has created a website where potential registrants and the general public can discover more information about the .rest gTLD and the benefits it will bring: www.rest-registry.com

The .rest gTLD has been developed to serve the restaurant industry and the general public. The TLD has been designed with industry-leading technical specifications in mind and a strong commitment to creating a trusted internet zone free from negative externalities and abuse. User experience will be enhanced by the stringent takedown policies as required by ICANN (URS, UDRP, etc.) and the provision of an easily identifiable, navigable, and usable zone.

The nature of the .rest gTLD - by virtue of introducing new and appropriate domain names that were previously unavailable on the primary market - will minimize the financial resources required by restaurants to establish their increasingly important internet presence. Furthermore, this internet presence will be truly global and free from the constraints of limited domain name availability, limiting, expensive and restrictive ccTLD policies, and linguistic compromise. Additionally, it provides an easily navigable space that improves user comprehension of the nature of the zone and the domains and websites that occupy it, as well as minimizing user confusion as to the type of registrant and website identified with a particular domain (eg. Twist.rest is obviously a restaurant site, where twist.com or twist.de could belong to a hairdresser, nightclub, web design firm, etc.).

i. Punto 2012 has taken great care to develop the most fair registration policy possible. We will offer a phased launch consistent with ICANN requirements and previous gTLD launches to ensure the protection of Trademark holders and the satisfaction of potential registrants. The ICANN-mandated Sunrise period open to TM holders will precede a Landrush or Premium Name availability period during which applicants are able to register their interest for various domain names (in the event of conflicting requests, the names will be sent to auction). The Landrush phase will be followed by General Availability, during which time domain names will become available for purchase by any entity on a first-come, first-served basis.

ii. Applicant is considering bulk pricing discounts for registrars and co-marketing programs for those entities that are willing to dedicate resources into promoting the .rest gTLD. Other marketing programs may be put in place based on the results of Applicantʹs ongoing research of the target market. The details of any marketing programs will be finalised prior to launch.

iii. Domains will be available for purchase for periods of one to ten years at the discretion of the registrar as per ICANN's Registry Agreement. At this time we do not foresee a need to increase the registry fees, but the registry will certainly give ample notice of any change in fees as required by the Registry Agreement.

Applicant has considered the relevant provisions of the new TLD Registries Agreement, the GAC Advice ʺGAC Principles Regarding new TLDsʺ and the procedures adopted by other gTLD registries and intends to use the procedure described below with regards to protection of geographic names in the TLD.

Prior to its launch Applicant will compile a list of country and territory names that are subject to reservation on the second level.

Pursuant to the specification provided in ICANNʹs Applicant Guidebook, the list will include country and territory names based on the following internationally recognized lists:
* the short form (in English) of all country and territory names contained on the ISO 3166-1 list;
* 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; and
* the list of 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;

As the above documents get updated from time to time, the exact list of reserved names will be compiled shortly before the TLD launch to account for any updates. The list of reserved names will be published on the Registry website.