.onl Pre-Register Domain - .onl Domain Information

The registered, independent subsidiary of a british Ltd is defined in §13 e, Para 2 Sentence 1 HGB (http://dejure.org/gesetze/HGB/13e.html). The jurisdiction for a british Ltd. is defined in the British company law in the "Companies Act 2006" (http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2006/46/pdfs/ukpga_20060046_en.pdf).

In 2011 the new brand ONL has been established as a unique, memorable and worldwide brand, especially for communication, media, contacts and information. Its mission is to become a leading communications brand globally like comparable brands in this space (to name some: Skype, Orange, Twitter). The goal is to become a well-known communication brand with customers worldwide. The mission of the ONL brand is to establish a sustainable operation of the brand ONL. Integral part of a sustainable operation is to donate proceeds to the needy. To promote the brand globally I-REGISTRY files an application for the respective ".ONL" TLD.

The TLD has the mission to promote and benefit the brand ONL in terms of (a) differentiating, protecting and expanding the brand on the Internet, (b) promoting the namespace to the public and stakeholders, and (c) creating added value through enhanced consumer trust and reliability in the digital namespace. The .ONL TLD shall provide a unique digital identity and facilitate the promotion of the brand ONL to Internet users in general. The .ONL namespace is intended to provide Internet users around the globe with a new, innovative namespace in which they can create and display web content. The registration of .ONL domains is open to all registrants worldwide, thus enabling Internet users worldwide to use, promote and support the brand ONL and this way become a part of the DNS with an own domain name. Registrants are expected to register generic keywords as well as domain names associated with them personally. The .ONL top-level domain has the mission to support the goals of the I-REGISTRY in establishing a worldwide branded namespace with easy recognizable domain names.

Donating to the needy is nowadays integral part in many cultures around the world. The purpose of .ONL is to incorporate this spirit and extend it to the Internet. With each domain registration the registrant supports the concept of I-REGISTRY, the Registry operator of .ONL, to donate parts of the proceeds to charitable causes with a focus on Internet topics such as digital divide, education of young/old Internet users and others. Registrants of .ONL have the opportunity and are expected to participate in the allocation of donations. In doing so, .ONL will support bringing more attention to the Needy and activating further donations.

i.

With .ONL Registrants can use an open, yet branded namespace, which has a unique and memorable meaning and will become a brand for online communication. The TLD .ONL and its domain names are intended for and thereby specialized to create content and facilitate communication in connection with the brand ONL, especially by generic, keyword and individual domain names. Internet users will benefit from a new global online brand which has no barriers and is open to everybody. Registrants will have unlimited options when registering a domain because .ONL opens up a completely vacant namespace where all domain names are still available.

The registry system of Afilias, the registry service-provider for .ONL, is already connected to most registrars worldwide. Adding further TLDs and implementing them on the registrars' systems is therefore simple and proven and eases the provision of .ONL worldwide. Hence the service level for registrants will be that .ONL domain names will be available at many ICANN-accredited registrars and their resellers in many countries. Beyond the easy provision of .ONL the Registry will offer equal access to all registrars worldwide and does not plan to impose unnecessary processes during registration of a domain name to registrars. Enabled by the easy integration into the registrars' systems .ONL domains will be available at many registrars, and registrants can expect a heavy price competition among the registrars which will lead to a competitive pricing. Domain names with a competitive pricing, no restrictions and a unique branding will attract many registrants to register .ONL domain names. Thus registrations are expected to rise quickly and Internet users will get used to .ONL domain names quickly. It is our aim that such a unique branded namespace will gain quickly a substantial reputation and recognition among Internet users, becoming a symbol of quality for Internet users worldwide.


ii.

Competition
Due to its attractive price the .ONL domains will be in price competition to many other existing ccTLDs, gTLDs and potential new gTLDs. However the string itself is very short and easy to remember like other short communication brands (HTC, TEL, IPAD). Therefore we expect that in addition to the attractiveness of the string due to the attractive price many registrants will decide to register a .ONL domain name, either with a keyword or a personal identifier. The TLD .ONL will offer IDN registrations for domain names, which fully supports ICANNs mission to provide the availability of Internationalized Domain Names. With Each TLD which supports IDNs on the second-level Registrants get a bigger choice and Internet users more content in "their" scripts.

Differentiation
The string will clearly differentiate itself from many specialized existing and new niche TLDs on the one hand because of its connection to a brand, its shortness and its recognition value. On the other hand .ONL differentiates itself because of the attractive pricing. In addition the TLD has a unique meaning to registrants and Internet users worldwide. A big difference to the existing TLDs and even to many of the new gTLDs is, that .ONL will be a namespace, where all domain names are available for registration except for domain names which are blocked or reserved due to ICANNs requirements. Apart from that all domain names are available to all registrants equally, therefore buying domain names at the secondary market, negotiating with existing domain registrants or calling a court is not necessary.

Innovation
In addition I-REGISTRY will support the external provision of optional innovative offerings, customized products and services to all registrants of .ONL domains, who have no experience with setting up their website. These services will not be included in the domain registration but offered separately. They will include customizable websites to easily create a presence on the internet. Another part of the innovative offerings from .ONL is the donation from TLD revenues to the Needy, especially to projects and people with a connection to the Internet. This way the domain name system serves as a tool to generate donations for Internet-related projects. Donations could include projects, among other topics, enhancing Internet usage in African countries, supporting education via the Internet and the One Laptop per Child Initiative.

iii.

Inclusiveness and equal Access for Registrants
There is no barrier to register and operate a .ONL domain name . Registrants who are new to the Internet can easily register a domain name as well as registrants, who own already a domain name or several domain names. There will be no restrictions when choosing a domain name, Registrants can register generic or keyword domain names as well as individual domain names. They will become a part of the global internet community and be able to participate in global communications, exchange and business. Additional services like a website builder support those registrants to setup a website.


Affordable namespace
A big difference to all existing TLDs and even to many of the new gTLDs is, that .ONL will be a namespace, where all domain names are available for registration except for a very limited number of domain names which are blocked or reserved due to ICANNs requirements. Apart from that all domain names are available to all registrants equally, so buying domain names at the secondary market for high prices, negotiating lengthy with existing domain registrants or calling a court is not necessary.


Reaching out to Internet users in their native scripts
Beyond innovative services and an attractive pricing providing a namespace which can be used in many non-latin scripts will be innovative, too. As of today not many TLDs offer domain registrations for Internationalized Domain Names (IDNs). The introduction of IDN support under .ONL including all major European scripts (like Spanish, Swedish and Danish), Russian, Arabic and Asian scripts among others will lead to an intuitive and innovative way of communicating .ONL worldwide.


iv.

The policies will support an open access for all registrants. Registered domains and their usage are not allowed to abuse the goal and image of .ONL.

I. General principles

1. Purpose

The .ONL Top Level Domain (ʺTLDʺ) established by and for the use of I-REGISTRY, the Registry Operator for the TLD space. I-REGISTRY will, with the advice and assistance of the Registry Service Provider Afilias Ltd. and relevant governmental bodies, develop, maintain and enforce effective TLD management strategies to manage the .ONL space.

This Policy is intended to be updated and revised regularly to reflect the needs of I-REGISTRY and its TLD. The current version of this Policy will be made publicly available at the registry website.

The purpose of the .ONL space is to promote and benefit the brand ONL in terms of (a) differentiating, protecting and expanding the brand on the Internet, (b) promoting the namespace to the public and stakeholders, and (c) creating added value through enhanced consumer trust and reliability in the digital namespace. The .ONL TLD shall provide a unique digital identity and facilitate the promotion of the brand ONL to Internet users in general. The .ONL space is intended to provide Internet users around the globe with a new, innovative namespace in which they can create and display web content.

2. Registration Policy

The .ONL space will operate following an unrestricted registration model, meaning that no eligibility criteria or registration restrictions will be imposed upon prospective registrants in the space.

The use of Privacy and/or Proxy registration services shall be permitted within this space.

II. Domain Allocation Rules

3. String Requirements and Reserved Names

String Requirements

Second-Level Domain names within the TLD must only include hyphens in the third and fourth position if they represent valid internationalized domain names in their ASCII encoding (for example ʺxn--ndk061nʺ), and must otherwise comply with any other applicable ICANN requirements.

Reserved Names

1. The label "EXAMPLE" shall be reserved at the second level and at all other levels within the TLD at which Registry Operator makes registrations.

2. Two-character labels. All two-character labels shall be initially reserved. The reservation of a two-character label string may be released to the extent that Registry Operator reaches agreement with the government and country-code manager. The Registry Operator may also propose release of these reservations based on its implementation of measures to avoid confusion with the corresponding country codes.

3. Second-Level Reservations for Registry Operations. The following names are reserved for use in connection with the operation of the registry for the TLD: NIC, WWW, IRIS and WHOIS.

4. The List of Reserved Names shall be compiled by I-REGISTRY and will be publicly posted online at the registry website. I-REGISTRY reserves the right to include new names in the list of reserved names.

5. Certain premium and/or generic keyword domain names may be reserved by I-REGISTRY for release through the Landrush and/or Premium Landrush registration phases.

Country and Territory Names

The country and territory names contained in the following internationally recognized lists shall be initially reserved at the second level and at all other levels within the TLD at which the Registry Operator provides for registrations:

1. the short form (in English) of all country and territory names contained on the ISO 3166-1 list, as updated from time to time, including the European Union, which is exceptionally reserved on the ISO 3166-1 list, and its scope extended in August 1999 to any application needing to represent the name European Union 〈http://www.iso.org/iso/support/country_codes/iso_3166_code_lists/iso-3166-1_decoding_table.htm#EU〉;

2. 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

3. 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; provided, that the reservation of specific country and territory names may be released to the extent that Registry Operator reaches agreement with the applicable government(s), provided, further, that Registry Operator may also propose release of these reservations, subject to review by ICANN's Governmental Advisory Committee and approval by ICANN.

III. Registration and Licensing Rules

4. Registration period and renewals

A .ONL domain name may be registered, and renewed at the end of each registration period, subject to the current terms and conditions offered by the concerned Registrar.

Registrations in the .ONL space shall follow a first-come, first-served model. The space will also utilize Landrush and Premium Landrush allocation phases

IV. Acceptable Use of .ONL Domain Names

5. Acceptable Use

I-REGISTRY intends that no domain name in the .ONL space shall be used in a manner which:

-infringes any other third parties' rights

-is in breach with any applicable laws, government rules or requirements

or for the purposes of:

-undertaking any illegal or fraudulent actions, including spam or phishing activities.

Failure to comply with the above provisions may result in the suspension or termination of the domain name registration by the Registry Operator.

V. Dispute Resolution Policies

6. Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (ʺUDRPʺ)

The Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (ʺUDRPʺ) shall apply to any challenges to registered domain names on the grounds that: 1) such domain names are identical or confusingly similar to a trademark in which the complainant has rights, 2) the registrant lacks rights or legitimate interests in the domain name, and 3) the domain name has been registered and used in bad faith.. The full text of the UDRP is located at the following address: http://www.icann.org/dndr/udrp/policy.htm

7. Uniform Rapid Suspension System ("URS")

The Uniform Rapid Suspension System ("URS") shall apply to any challenges to registered domain names on the grounds that: 1) such domain names are identical or confusingly similar to a trademark in which the complainant has rights, 2) the registrant lacks rights or legitimate interests in the domain name, and 3) the domain name has been registered and used in bad faith. The full text of the URS is located at the registry website when available.

8. Trademark Post-Delegation Dispute Resolution Procedure (Trademark PDDRP)

The Registry Operator for .ONL shall agree to be bound by the Trademark Post-Delegation Dispute Resolution Procedure (Trademark PDDRP). The Trademark PDDRP applies to challenges by trademark holders claiming that one or more of its marks have been infringed, and thereby the trademark holder has been harmed, by the registry operator's manner of operation or use of the gTLD. The full text of the Trademark PDDRP is located at the registry website when available.

* Startup Schedule *

The .ONL domain name allocation plan has several phases:

1.Reserved: Reservation of domain names in connection with the operation, management and purpose of the TLD, domain names on ICANN's requirements and for premium domain names phase during Landrush and operations.

2.Sunrise (TMCH): Domain names will be allocated according to the rules which ICANN will set-up for the Trademark Clearinghouse.

3.Premium Landrush: A defined list of valuable target group-specific domain names with a fixed price will be allocated on a first-come/first-serve basis or via auction.

4.Landrush (General Availability): Domain names will be allocated on a first-come/first-serve basis.

5.Premium domains allocation: A defined list of valuable target group-specific Premium domain names will be allocated in a later phase.


v.

.ONL will be a gTLD where domain names can be secured by a proxy service or privacy service as an option to protect the personal data of registrants. Since .ONL will be used globally, registrants might need to use proxy or privacy services because of their country or society. To inform registrants how their personal data might be used by I-REGISTRY, we will notify registrars of the purposes for which personally identifiable data are collected and used.

The WHOIS data of all .ONL domains will be visible to the public, although a captcha module prevents from automated inquiries. Bulk access to WHOIS data will not be allowed according to ICANN specifications. In addition I-REGISTRY will establish an abuse point of contact.

vi.

Extensive marketing, communication and PR measures for registrars will be setup to support registrars in promoting and selling .ONL. This will include online and offline marketing and PR activities as well as sales material and joint sales activities.

Our back-end services provider Afilias will support the projected benefits with the extensive network to all relevant ICANN accredited registrars and their marketing, communication and PR capabilities.

We believe that due to our marketing budget a focused outreach to our target group (end customers) and registrars, which will be the main part of our marketing efforts, will help us to achieve the projected benefits of .ONL.

In addition the donation in itself and the donation process will give many opportunities to communicate about the contributions, the mechanisms how to allocate donations and to whom as well as why and how revenues from .ONL are donated to respective projects.

Due to competitive reasons we have not yet published a website, but will do this once ICANN awarded .ONL to us.

i

For the Sunrise Phase we'll incorporate the respective rules set forth by ICANN for use of the Trademark Clearinghouse. Trademark claims service according to ICANN specifications will be implemented to minimize costs and resources for trademark owners during at least the first 60 days of Landrush.

As of today during Premium Landrush we expect that most domain names will be allocated on a first-come first-serve basis, but we reserve the option to auction domain names in case of more than one registrant for a domain name. During Landrush domain names will be allocated on a first-come first-serve basis to minimize social costs and time resources of registrants. Further allocation phases might include the allocation of domain names via auction or tender processes. In addition a fixed-price allocation for premium names during operations might be deployed to avoid speculation and enable a fair and transparent allocation of domain names.

Country names and ccTLD codes will be reserved on the second-level and all other levels according to specification 5 and only released to the extent that I-REGISTRY reaches agreement with the respective country, and/or ccTLD manager and approval by ICANN.


ii.

We are currently not planning any cost benefit programs, we will have fair and reasonable wholesale prices that have been agreed with Registrars and Registrants.


iii.

As of today estimates about future market and price developments will be purely speculative and therefore not reasonable. However I-REGISTRY will comply with the rules for price increases set forth in the new gTLD Registry Agreement. The .ONL domains will be available through accredited registrars who will be provided equal (non-discriminatory) access to registry services. The sunrise registration term will be 2 years and the landrush term will be one to ten years on the discretion of the registrar.

According to the details as specified in the New gTLD Registry Agreement I-REGISTRY will have the right to reduce pricing for promotional purposes in a manner available to all accredited registrars. In case of price increases I-REGISTRY will comply with the rules ICANN established to initiate an increase in the wholesale price of domains. In case of price increases I-REGISTRY will notify their 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).
Furthermore the names of all Capital Cities and Seat of Government (where different) will initially be reserved in English (and their respective language), as well as all metropolises according to the "Internationalen Statistikkonferenz von 1887 (International Statistics Conference of 1887)" in English (and their respective language).
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 I-REGISTRY 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 I-REGISTRY.

If internationalized domains 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 our registry-registrar agreement, and flowing down to registrar-registrant agreements, I-REGISTRY 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.