.cafe Pre-Register Domain - .cafe Domain Information

The .cafe TLD will provide an online home for the various types of cafes and venues where cafe culture (of all varieties) is enjoyed. The .cafe TLD will allow these entities to register names that are appropriate to their product, business name or service offering. Even though the word "cafe" is related directly to the word "coffee", its actual use is not limited or restricted to this specific product. The .cafe gTLD is expected to appeal to a wide variety of entities and retail points including but not limited to coffee shops, restaurants, cyber cafes, manga cafes, bars and retail points serving coffee and offering cafe culture. Because the term "cafe" also means or is synonymous with coffee in many languages, it could also appeal to other registrants who identify themselves with the word "cafe", such as purveyors of coffee-related products and services, associations, equipment producers and suppliers, etc.

The .cafe gTLD will provide innumerable benefits to the entire cafe universe (businesses and consumers alike) by providing simple, easily identifiable, descriptive, and intuitive domain names. It will provide a designated namespace where cafe-related entities can register domain names and where consumers can search for and easily locate them. Its use will include but will not be limited to websites, emails, online applications, online transactions, social media, directories and any new usages of domain names.

The use of the term "cafe" to describe a place where "cafe culture" is enjoyed or coffee and other beverages / light snacks are sold has spread and is understood worldwide. Most European languages use the term "cafe" to describe such establishments (including but not limited to English, Spanish, French, Catalan, Galician, Portuguese, Italian, Danish, Dutch, German, Slovenian, Swedish, and Icelandic, with the Norwegian and Turkish terms being very similar). The term "cafe" additionally means "coffee" in French, Spanish, Catalan, Galician, and Portuguese. Moreover, the word "café" is one of the few latin words recognized and used globally. The chosen string is therefore directly related to and descriptive of the gTLD's intended use and offers maximum usability and flexibility worldwide. It will offer ASCII and extended Latin IDN registrations at the second level in order to accommodate the linguistic requirements of the forecast registrant pool.

The concept of "cafes" and "cafe culture" and / or the use of the term "cafe" to describe various types of establishments is present worldwide. Typically, cafes denote an establishment where light food and beverages, particularly coffee, are sold. An emphasis on engaging in some form of activity - whether it be social (such as catching up with friends over a beverage, snack or a shisha) or personal (such as using the internet, reading or working), or some combination of the two - is often strongly related to various concepts and interpretations of "cafe culture" worldwide. Cafes of all varieties are increasingly popular: coffee shops make up the fastest growing segment of the restaurant business, with an impressive 7% annual growth rate (Top 100 Espresso Coffee Statistics Report 2012). Snack and non-alcoholic beverage establishments, also commonly referred to as cafes, are expected to grow by 4.1% in 2012 - more than any other type of limited service restaurant (National Restaurant Association (USA) 2012 Restaurant Industry Forecast). Although cyber cafes are declining in number worldwide, they remain incredibly popular in Asia as a venue for multi-player computer games.

As a result of the industry's demonstrated popularity and growth trends in the market, newly launched cafes of all varieties fight (and often don't succeed) to obtain an appropriate domain name in the current TLD space. The National Restaurant Association (USA) 2012 Restaurant Industry Forecast revealed the importance of an internet presence for restaurants (including cafes), 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 27% have posted or read restaurant reviews on consumer-driven websites. With web presences becoming increasingly important both as business drivers and sources of information about cafes and related products and services - it is crucial that a new domain is launched to address and service this growing and underserved market. Being in possession of a short, appropriate, and easily locatable domain name will not only be crucial for cafes hoping to attract customers in a competitive environment but also provide a vital platform for innovation and key services to a general public that increasingly looks online for information about various types of food and beverage establishments, including cafes.

By offering a zone specifically designed for and dedicated to various types of cafes and the billions of consumers that patronize them, the .cafe 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 for which they are searching because of the TLD's intuitive nature and capacity for registration in extended Latin script).

The .cafe gTLD will not only benefit cafe owners and those businesses or individuals associated with the term cafe by allowing them 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 TLD is designed specifically for cafes and corollary products and services, it will also direct consumers to the domains they are seeking, thereby improving consumer internet experience and minimizing user 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 cafe-related domains of every variety.

i. The .cafe gTLD has been specifically designed to meet the requirements of registrants - the various types of cafe venues located worldwide. The domain will provide cafe owners, suppliers, industry stakeholders, and corollary entities with the unique opportunity to register the shortest, most intuitive, and most descriptive domain names possible. Newly launched cafes - 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). Cafes that have previously compromised by registering long, non-descriptive, or language-inappropriate domain names are also expected to reap the benefits of short, simple, and appropriate domain names.

The .cafe gTLD is expertly positioned to grow in size and significance along with various cafe industries and will provide a reliable technical service for registrants, with the unprecedented level of technical security and stability required for a new gTLD. A battery of logging and monitoring tools will protect the ,cafe gTLD from attack and disruption - allowing cafes worldwide and internet users to be sure that the domains have complete, uninterrupted functionality and uncompromised content.

The applicant Punto 2012 SA de CV ("Punto 2012" or "Applicant") is committed to ensuring the .cafe gTLD becomes one of many trusted zones protecting registrants, rights holders, and internet users. To this end, we plan 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 ,cafe gTLD will be the first TLD specifically designed to serve the needs of the global cafe industry and the consumers they serve, and it will perform the dual purpose of supplying cafes 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) for cafes, while globalizing the cafes' internet presence. It will allow cafes 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 cafe industry evolves.

The domain will simultaneously promote cafes and assist consumers with locating cafe websites in an increasingly crowded and global Internet space. The .cafe gTLD will be an entirely global domain, allowing cafes and corollary entities to promote their businesses and services without compromising on language or local usability. 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 .cafe gTLD and its support for IDN capability accomplishes this goal.

iii. Punto 2012 intends for the .cafe gTLD to be fair, reliable, easily navigable, 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 cafe-themed domains into new markets, allowing previously underserved markets, cafes of all varieties, and consumers to take advantage of the opportunities afforded by the TLD's introduction into the DNS. The .cafe 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 TLD and by the applicant, Punto 2012 believes that the registration of domains should be open to all parties for legitimate purposes. Due to the descriptive nature of the string, it is expected that the cafe industry and cafe venues will be most interested in registering .cafe domain names; however, the applicant does not wish to impose validation criteria as it believes it would only increase cost and restrict innovation - which goes against ICANN's and our goals for the .cafe gTLD.

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 to enforce 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 Acceptable Use Policy that will allow it to cancel the registration of a domain name if the name is in violation of the Policy.

Additionally, Applicant will undertake communications efforts to encourage reporting and execute rapid takedown of domains in violation of the Acceptable Use policy.
Punto 2012 will engage with organizations serving and communicating with the different entities who identify themselves with the word "cafe" worldwide and will work together to inform all the participants involved about the opportunities that the .cafe gTLD offers. A global outreach initiative will ensure that establishments and participants who identify with the word ʺcafeʺ become aware of the TLD 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 all kinds of cafes and also the general public.

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 .cafe gTLD's intended purpose and use. The .cafe gTLD string in and of itself is intuitive, easily identifiable, 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.

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 connections to ensure that the .cafe gTLD meets the requirements of those associated with the word "cafe" and 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 TLD, 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 will create a website where potential registrants and the general public can discover more information about the .cafe gTLD and the benefits it will bring: www.cafe-registry.com

The .cafe gTLD has been developed to serve the various types of cafes and venues engaging in "cafe culture" and the general public. The TLD has been designed to meet the technical specifications of the new gTLD program, and the Applicant has strongly committed 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 .cafe 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 all kinds of cafes and coffee related entities 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 (i.e. johnsons.cafe is obviously a café website, whereas johnsons.com or johnsons.de could be the website of a drycleaner, plumber, law office, etc.).

i. Punto 2012 has taken great care to develop the most fair registration policy possible. It 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 doing bulk pricing discounts for registrars and co-marketing programs for those entities that are willing to dedicate resources into promoting the .cafe 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 .CAFE.

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.