.scot Pre-Register Domain - .scot Domain Information

Q18 a) - Mission/purpose

The .scot TLD application is submitted by dotScot Registry Limited in name and on behalf of the Scottish community, composed of individuals and organizations linked to the community on a cultural or business basis, or by any other activity conducive to the welfare of the Scottish community

Registrations under the .scot TLD are restricted to bona-fide members of the Scottish community, and subject to the further requirement that the registrant's actions in the .scot TLD community, as well as the registrant's use of the registered domain name, must be:

(i) generally accepted as legitimate; and

(ii) beneficial to the cause and the values of the Scottish community; and

(iii) commensurate with the role and importance of the registered domain name; and

(iv) in good faith at the time of registration and thereafter.

The goals of the .scot TLD are to:

(a) facilitate digital communications from, to, and within the Scottish community;

(b) provide a platform for the development in the digital space of the Scottish community.

(c) strengthen the image of the Scottish community in the on-line world;

This is to be achieved by:

(i) actively designing and developing the .scot TLD name space with a focus on the needs of the Scottish community, involving cultural, welfare, business and public stakeholders;

(ii) facilitating registrations using Scottish languages other than English such as Gaelic, Scots, Doric, Shetlandic and Orcadian many of which use non-ASCII characters. This is especially true for Gaelic, Shetlandic and Orcadian;

(iii) allowing registrations of second-level domains in the .scot TLD by individuals and organizations with a bona fide nexus to the Scottish community; the basic criterion to elucidate this bona fide nexus will be established by the requirement to use the domain names registered conducive to the welfare of the Scottish community.

(iv) operating the .scot TLD under the stewardship of the Scottish community:. As will be elaborated and detailed under 20 b), Dot Scot Registry has the explicit support of the Scottish public authorities, its most relevant cultural and professional institutions and private sector stakeholders.

The .scot TLD will contribute to increase the cultural diversity of the DNS, which is one of the main objectives of the gTLD process.
The above-mentioned general goals of the .scot TLD are further developed as follows:

- Meeting point of a lively community: the .scot TLD will serve approximately a fifty million people community in every part of the globe. A community with a rich cultural heritage, and unique characteristics.

- Enabling speakers of Scotlandʹs other languages which use non ASCII characters such as Gaelic, Shetlandic and Orcadian for the first time to promote their languages on-line without transliteration.

- Improving consumer choice by facilitating online marketing: the .scot TLD will help long tail companiesʹ strategies to focus the marketing of their products for the Scottish community. Companies' adoption of the .scot TLD to address the Scottish market will be key to measure how the .scot TLD has increased consumers' choice.

- Promoting the relations with and within the diaspora: the .scot TLD will contribute to make the huge Scottish diaspora more visible and to improve the relations between its nods and different generations.

- A new type of community gTLD: the Scottish community has a relevant part of its members beyond Scotland's original and historical area of influence. This will be very useful for academics and ICANN to study whether this kind of community TLDs effectively contribute to the preservation of a culture among emigrants.

- The previous experience of a TLD, .CAT, offered the possibility to evaluate the beneficiary ripple effects of such a TLD. and its significant contribution to the profile of the catalan speaking community on the Internet. the .scot TLD's cooperation with Fundació puntCAT throughout ECLID - European Cultural and Linguistic Internet Domains - the working group which both entities are founding members of, will contribute to the benefit of the cultural communities TLDs' knowledge, and to the development of a network of multistakeholder non-for-profit organizations committed to the aim of developing the advancement of the Internet in their respective cultural areas of influence. Information about ECLID may be found at: http://www.eclid.eu/

dotScot Registry Limited is convinced that the .scot string does not fall under the scope of the Geographic Names, and therefore, does not require Government Support. The section 2.2.1.4.2 of the Applicant Guidebook establishes in its sub bullet number 3 that:

ʺThe following types of applied-for strings are considered geographic names and must be accompanied by documentation of support or non-objection from the relevant governments or public authorities:

3. An application for any string that is an exact match of a sub-national place name, such as a county, province, or state, listed in the ISO 3166-2 standard.ʺ

In ISO 3166-2 there is an entry for "Scotland", but there is no entry for "scot". It is clear from this description that the .scot string should not be considered a geographic name. However, the Guidebook also indicates in this same section that:

ʺit is in the applicant's interest to consult with relevant governments and public authorities and enlist their support or non-objection prior to submission of the application, in order to preclude possible objections and pre-address any ambiguities concerning the string and applicable requirements.ʺ

Given the intimate and evident association of the applied for string with the name of Scotland and with the Scots community, and in order to dispel any ambiguities concerning the application, and also taking into account the GAC principles, regarding new gTLDs, presented in March 28, 2007, and specifically, their point 2.2, dotscot Registry Limited obtained letters of support and non objection from both the Governments of Scotland and the United Kingdom.

Therefore, and even though the application is not for a geographic name, the response of dotScot Registry Limited to the Q21 will be affirmative, in order to be able to attach the letters of non objection and support provided for this application.

Q18 b) - benefits

The .scot TLD will benefit registrants by providing the worldwide family of Scots with their own domain, reflecting an online community defined by a shared commitment to Scottish identity, culture and economic promotion. This benefit has already been anticipated by Scots organisations across the world with letters of support from such groups, businesses and societies from America, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and many other places beside.

From the perspective of Internet users generally, the .scot TLD will provide a reference point for those seeking information linked to Scottish themes such as business, arts, culture, language and history. Scots culture and heritage is of worldwide interest and there are whole industries devoted to it. Dotscot Registry intends to ensure that .scot domain names are perceived as the definitive place to find and access all things Scottish, with the highest reputation. It is felt that this exposure will enhance the differentiation of things Scottish allowing them to compete more effectively in the market and raise their profiles.

Dotscot Registry will benefit a broad range of stakeholders outside of the Internet. For instance the Company structure of Dotscot is set as a Not-For-Profit Company. This means the companyʹs profits are not returned as dividends but are instead used to further the aims of the business and to promote Scotland generally. Because of this we have the unequivocal backing of the Scottish Government and a Memorandum of Understanding is in place with them backed by letters of support from the First minister, his Cabinet and local government amongst others. Through this close relationship, Dotscot intends to reach out to the worldwide family of Scots and bring them together to benefit and enhance Scotland, its peoples and culture. This communications channel will inevitably be two-way with the diaspora and others becoming more aware of current Scottish affairs and vice-versa.

The specificity to the Scottish community of the .scot string and the .scot TLD policy enable registrants to communicate in a way that demonstrates their commitment to the Scottish community. This is especially true for users of Shetlandic, Orcadian and Gaelic languages who will be able to use non-ASCII characters in their names. A potential registrant interested in a given domain under the .scot TLD is more likely to be able to register it because the potential of contention from other parts of the world is reduced.

The ability to design and develop a planned portion of the name space creates a web of predictable and memorable names that will facilitate access to key resources for users. Predictability relates both the choice of the name and the content the user may expect from a name corresponding to a certain pattern.

The launch process and the community nexus compliance program are designed to achieve a high degree of relevance of the .scot domain names for the Scottish community. The focus on language and cultural manifestations facilitates clear and easy communications from, to and within the Scottish community. Along with a policy providing strong intellectual property support, this benefits local and international trademark holders as well as local and international Internet users.

Answers to enumerated question points:

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

The goal of the .scot TLD in terms of specialty is the focus on the needs of the Scottish community. Service levels will match or exceed the high end of currently existing TLDs. The .scot Registry will vigorously build and defend the reputation of the .scot TLD as an orderly and progressive TLD for the Scottish community.


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

The .scot TLD fills a large gap in terms of consumer choice. From a competition standpoint, it creates a level playing field with respect to the market power of large unspecific TLDs.

It is naturally differentiated both by its scope, by its governance model and by its intrinsic meaning, from other TLDs. A community TLD is by definition one of the most suitable tools to widen and raise the profile of the cultural diversity and variety on the Internet.

Scotland is famous for its innovation. Today, more patents are issued to Scottish universities than to any other nation in the world, as measured per head according to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). dotScot Registry Limited believes that having their own, unique identity on the Internet will encourage and facilitate Scots businesses and organizations to bring that dynamism and ingenuity on-line in a way that has not been possible hither-to. Inventiveness and innovation are intrinsic to the Scottish genetic code and having a .scot TLD will allow it to be expressed and identified worldwide.

Innovation is also greatly enhanced by the proactive structured development of the name space. The development process involves an open procedure with calls for proposals for purpose-built localized services based on designated portions of the the .scot TLD name space. This approach helps use innovative potential worldwide for the benefit of the Scottish community and for the advancement of the global Internet.

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

Compared to most existing TLDs, the .scot TLD user experience will greatly enhance predictability and memorability of domain names. The community-based focus, the orderly development process and strong intellectual property support ensure that users will generally find the services they are looking for under the names they intuitively tend to use for them.

User experience is improved by the singular specificities of a community TLD, that will provide to the community and to those willing to address online communications specifically targeted to this community the means to identify such communications under a TLD explicitly designed to this purpose. Users in the Scottish community will also get increasingly used to the predictability of the .scot TLD domain names. As a result, they also avoid stumbling upon typo-squatting, robotized pay-per-click traps or domain-for-sale pages.

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

Registrations under the .scot TLD are restricted to bona-fide members of the Scottish community, and subject to the further requirement that the registrant's actions in the .scot TLD community, as well as the registrant's use of the registered domain name, must be:

(i) generally accepted as legitimate; and

(ii) beneficial to the cause and the values of the Scottish community; and

(iii) commensurate with the role and importance of the registered domain name; and

(iv) in good faith at the time of registration and thereafter.

The registration policies are differentiated between Pre-launch phase, Launch phase and General Availability.

1, Pre-launch phase

During Pre-launch, projects and content provision commitments are actively sought and negotiated, especially for key public-interest portions of the name space. All potential registrants and mandate holders are subject to screening and thorough pre-validation. For more details on the pioneer and the name space program, please see response to Q18 c) below

2.Launch phase

During the Launch phase, all registrations are thoroughly pre-validated; Launch phase pre-validation depends on priority status but will always involve community nexus. For further details about the community nexus, please see response to Q20 e) below. The Launch phase includes 3 categories for registrants with prior rights, and a fourth one, which is in fact, a Landrush, running in parallel in time, but being the lowest in priority. The categories are the following according to hierarchy:

- Entities which have a specific vocation in promoting Scottish culture, including Public Authorities, such as:

- Public Administrations in Scotland including but not limited to Scottish Government, Regional Authorities, Local Authorities and other bodies in the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities;
- Public Administrations in the UK with a Scottish remit;
- European Administrations with a Scottish remit;
- Commonwealth Secretariat administrations with a Scottish remit;
- All other Administrations with competencies relating to Scotland, itʹs people, languages, culture and business.

- Trademark and other distinctive signs rights holders. This includes trademarks validated by the Trademark Clearinghouse, and designations of origin.

- Entities with their legal seat in Scotland. This category is restricted to legal entities, and does not allow "fantasy names".

- No prior rights. Eligible registrants not able to claim any of the priorities listed above will be able to apply during the whole duration of the Launch phase, as a preparation for an orderly and transparent Landrush.

Applications in non-English languages will be welcomed, specifically in Gaelic, Shetlandic and Orcadian which often require the use of non ASCII characters, as well as in the other Scottish languages of Doric and Scots.

3. Post-launch: General Availability

At General Availability, community nexus is subject to post-validation by way of an extensive compliance program based on the same criteria that form the basis of the TLD: cultural, business and welfare of the Scottish community. The ongoing compliance program will regularly be adapted to current needs based on experience and audit findings. Community nexus validation combined with strong protection of trademarks helps stamp out cybersquatting and abusive registrations

b) 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.

Dot Scot Registry recognizes first-hand that this is a relevant issue and an evolving area of law in which there is no international standard. The protection of privacy and confidential information of registrants and users will comply with applicable Law, in particular the European Data Protection framework and the United Kingdom Personal Data Protection legislation as enshrined in the UK Data Protection Act 1998. Within the bounds of applicable regulations, the Registry will implement anti-data mining measures by way of rate limitation, authenticated access or white-listing/black-listing, as well as tools to prevent unauthorized recourse to repetitive automated access.

Dot Scot Registry also intends to incorporate contractual language in its Registry Registrar Agreement (RRA) modeled after language which has been included in the template Registry Agreement and which has been successfully utilized by existing ICANN gTLD Registry operators. Specifically, Registry Operator shall notify Registrar of the purposes for which Personal Data submitted to Registry Operation by Registrar is collected, the intended recipients (or categories of recipients) of such Personal Data, and the mechanism for access to and correction of such Personal Data. Registry Operator shall take reasonable steps to protect Personal Data from loss, misuse, unauthorized disclosure, alteration or destruction. Registry Operator shall not use or authorize the use of Personal Data in a way that is incompatible with the notice provided to registrars. Registry Operator may from time to time use the demographic data collected for statistical analysis, provided that this analysis will not disclose individual Personal Data and provided that such use is compatible with the notice provided to registrars regarding the purpose and procedures for such use.

Finally, Dot Scot Registry will propose to ICANN, through the Registry Agreement negotiations, a Whois service that allows individual registrants to opt-out from publishing their personal contact data, as other existing gTLD Registries have done. If this option is not available during the contractual negotiations, Dot Scot Registry would submit such proposal after delegation, though the New Registry Services procedure.


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

The .scot TLD has outreach programs adapted to each phase of its introduction.

The pre-launch negotiations involving calls for projects by innovators and pioneer users. They foster the intuitive usability of the .scot TLD with a focus on the needs of the Scottish community. Once these domain names are active, they become an outreach mechanism in their own right because they establish the touch-and-feel of the .scot TLD in the minds of the users.

The launch phase will involve outreach mechanisms that specifically leverage participation by the local public services, locally relevant trademarks and local actors.

Promotion codes distributed through community-specific channels are a form outreach available at any time. They are also a low-cost method to achieve community nexus and to prevent abusive registrations.

Q18 c) - operating rules

The Pre-launch, Launch and General Availability phases of the .scot TLD are designed to minimize social costs and negative externalities.

The community-based approach of the .scot TLD (please see answers to Q20 below for more details), with its rules for Eligibility, Name Selection, Accepted Use and vigorous Enforcement practices (see answer to Q29 below for additional details) ensure that trademark owners and other right holders will not face the usual costs of monitoring, and defending against abuses. Nor would they feel impelled to defensively register their names, identities, products, services or brands in the .scot TLD to prevent abuses.

The .scot Registry will furthermore implement vigorous and comprehensive general malicious conduct (see answer to Q28 below for additional details) prevention and mitigation policies to minimize the number, importance and effects of abuses harming the general users.

The different registration phases protect potential registrants and potentially affected parties while maximizing the value of the name space to its registrants and users.

This approach is based on the premise that extensive screening efforts by the Registry in the early stages will create a fair and orderly name space with lower compliance costs in the long term.

In phases and areas where the first-come-first-served principle tends to yield perverse results, alternative modes are used. These include:

1) A pioneer name program and name space mandate program. These programs adjudicate domain names based on an open and transparent project selection process. This process is highly economical in terms of social costs and yields substantial external benefits.

The pioneer name and name space mandate programs are part of the .scot TLD outreach program. It begins before delegation of the TLD. In terms of workload, it mainly affects proposers who themselves are required to demonstrate support for their projects. Support will be required to come from the segment of the community concerned with the respective portion of the name space. Given the high value of the resulting on-line resources for the community and the public interest, and given the economic benefits that can be derived from their operation, the administrative effort is largely justified.

To further protect affected parties, all adjudications in this phase have a safety-valve clause, allowing for later adjustments based on community input. The principle of the safety-valve is that affected parties can obtain adjustments to a component of a mandate if they propose (and commit to) an improved use of the underlying domain names from a public interest perspective.

2) Launch phase: there will be a long, single launch phase (simultaneous sunrise and landrush) based on domain applications. Domain applications are not domain registrations: multiple applications are accepted for any domain name. (By contrast, only a single registration can exist for a given domain.)

All applications are published on the Whois service. Applicants mark their prior rights, if any, in the application. There are four categories: entities
that do have a role in the promotion of the Scottish community's public interest and welfare; trademarks; legal entities with their legal seat in Scotland; and no prior rights.

For a given domain, the highest priority applications will be validated with respect to the claimed priority right. If there is more than one application for the same domain in a given category (or subcategory), a contention resolution process begins. The contention resolution process allows agreement between contenders (withdrawal and refund of application)and auctions as a mechanism of last resort.

The agreement or auction are the most effective solution for the affected parties. These options are designed to promote quiet resolution at minimal effort, the lowest social costs, and the highest public benefits while protecting individual stakeholders from excessive burdens.

Answers to enumerated question points:

c) i. How will multiple applications for a particular domain name be resolved, for example, by auction or on a first-come/first- serve basis?

As described above, during pre-launch and launch phase, the first-come/first-served principle is NOT applied. If there is more than one application for the same domain in a given category (or subcategory), a contention resolution process begins. The contention resolution process allows agreement between contenders(withdrawal and refund of application), random selection (if all contenders agree), mediation and arbitration and, as a tie-breaker of last resort, auction.

c) ii. Explain any cost benefits for registrants you intend to implement (e.g., advantageous pricing, introductory discounts, bulk registration discounts).

The focus of the .scot TLD is bottom-line cost to registrants and stakeholders, not the direct per-unit cost. The bottom-line cost is greatly reduced thanks to avoiding contention between legitimate community-based applicants and speculators.

Dotscot intends to operate with maximum flexibility to suit the marketplace, commensurate with industry norms. This will include discounts and other benefits such as:

◦ Discounts for long-term registrations with the discount increasing in line with the term;
◦ volume discounts using a stage-gate discount scheme;
◦ advantageous pricing for social-economy organisations and registered charities

c) iii. Note that the Registry Agreement requires that registrars be offered the option to obtain initial domain name registrations for periods of one to ten years at the discretion of the registrar, but no greater than ten years. Additionally, the Registry Agreement requires advance written notice of price increases. Do you intend to make contractual commitments to registrants regarding the magnitude of price escalation? If so, please describe your plans.

dotScot Registry Limited is committed to provide domain name registration services in accordance with the requirements, notices and periods set forth in the Registry Agreement. Dotscot intends to contractually commit to limiting price escalation to no more than Retail Price Index (RPI) plus 5%. This represents a maximum amount which would only be called upon should the economic situation demand it. It is fervently hoped by Dotscot that we will be able, once sales patterns stabilise, to reduce domain costs significantly over time. It is anticipated that this price reduction programme will be enacted from the end of Year three of operation.

The .scot TLD will be based on predictability regarding pricing. The .scot Registry-Registrar Agreement will not contain specific or non-standard clauses regarding price escalation between the .scot Registry and its registrars.

The .scot TLD business plan is designed to avoid any future necessity to increase Registry price in real terms. The fundamental principle is prudence: starting from conservative price levels and gradually lowering them. This method ensures sufficient financial reserves, favours optimal allocation of domain names, helps prevent misuse and supports an orderly registration process.

Q20 a) - Name and description of the community The .scot TLD will serve the needs of the Scottish community on the Internet. The Scottish community is composed of individuals and entities linked to the community on a cultural or business basis, or by any other activity conducive to the welfare of the Scottish community. Registrations under the .scot TLD are restricted to bona-fide members of the Scottish community, and subject to the further requirement that the registrant's actions in the the .scot TLD community, as well as the registrant's use of the registered domain name, must be: (i) generally accepted as legitimate; and (ii) beneficial to the cause and the values of the Scottish community; and (iii) commensurate with the role and importance of the registered domain name; and (iv) in good faith at the time of registration and thereafter. Dot Scot Registry has a clear and strong endorsement from the most relevant Institutions related to the Scottish community. This also includes relevant business and professional associations, representing interests from every sector of the civil society, and all over the economic spectrum. The representativity of these institutions invests Dot Scot Registry with a clear mandate to serve the community. Answers to enumerated question points: a) i. How the community is delineated from Internet users generally. Such descriptions may include, but are not limited to, the following: membership, registration, or licensing processes, operation in a particular industry, use of a language. Delineation: The International Community of Scots comprise those individuals and organisations which are defined by: 1. birth or residence as Scottish; 2. by ancestry as of Scots origin; 3. businesses located in Scotland or registered in Scotland; 4. organisations and their memberships whose stated remit is to celebrate or further the heritage, arts, music, languages, sports and culture of Scotland. Home Scots are delineated by residence. The Scottish diaspora includes large Scottish communities in the other constituent parts of the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. In addition there are significant Scottish communities in The Netherlands, Germany, France, Italy and Poland. As well as in several South American and African countries, the Far East, and the Indian subcontinent. The Scottish diaspora is delineated by: - Scottish clubs and organisations and their memberships. These include, but are not limited to, Scottish cultural organisations; Scottish Gaelic and Scots language groups; St Andrews and Caledonian societies; federated Burns Clubs; clan societies; heritage and ancestral organisations; pipe bands; Scottish country dancing and highland dancing clubs; Highland games; international branches of Scottish sports supporters clubs; university-based Scottish studies centres and their community members; international Scottish business organisations; Scottish Government diaspora engagement networks including GlobalScot and Global Friends of Scotland. - Scots identified in the ethnic sections of national census where these are applied e.g. 5.7 million Scots-Canadians (Canadian census 2011) - Businesses outside of Scotland that have a significant Scottish component. These include but are not limited to kilt makers, tartan shops, Scottish bakeries, Scottish souvenir shops, hotels and other accommodation providers which advertise a Scottish connection. - Individuals who demonstrate an active affinity with Scotland. Examples include tourism, research or family connections. a) ii. How the community is structured and organized. For a community consisting of an alliance of groups, details about the constituent parts are required. dotScot Registry Limited has been established for the purpose of creating and managing the .scot TLD. To that purpose, the support of the most relevant Institutions related to the Scottish cultural, technologic, media, professional and Civil Society sectors was gathered. dotScot Registry Limited, therefore, represents a community established centuries ago, with a longstanding existence and consolidated cultural heritage, organized throughout the centuries in many different layers of political, administrative, commercial, cultural and social organizations , that exceed by far the scope of this question. a) iii. When the community was established, including the date(s) of formal organization, if any, as well as a description of community activities to date. The country of Scotland was established in 843. There were Scottish settlements in several European countries by the 15th century and Scottish emigration to North America dates back to the early 16th century. Later waves of emigration from Scotland increased this number to its present-day levels. Those leaving Scotland took with them their culture, heritage, arts, music and languages upon and around which the International Community of Scots is focused. a) iv. The current estimated size of the community, both as to membership and geographic extent. The community consists of Scots living in Scotland and the Scottish diaspora, which is world-wide. The size of the community is approximately 50 million persons. This figure is the total of 5 million Scotland-based Scots and 45 million who live out-with Scotland.

Q20 b) - Relationship to the community b) i. Relations to any community organizations. In preparation for this application, Dotscot contacted a representative group of organisations and influential individuals both in Scotland and across the diaspora to gage the level of interest and ensure that the bid carried the full weight of support of its target demographic. The results of this have been astounding not just because of the level of support but because of the lack of any objection to what we are trying to achieve. Below is a list of support letters we have received illustrating the breadth of support and the international nature of it. ◦ UK Government ◦ Minister for Culture, Communications & the Creative Industries, Ed Vaisey MP (the minister with responsibility for Domain-Name policy in the UK) ◦ Scottish Government: ◦ First Minister of Scotland,Right Honourable Alex Salmond MSP ◦ Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Health, Wellbeing and Cities Strategy, Nicola Sturgeon MSP ◦ Cabinet Secretary for Justice, Kenny McCaskill MSP ◦ Cabinet Secretary for Culture and External Affairs, Fiona Hislop MSP ◦ cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning, Michael Russell MSP/BPA ◦ Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment, Richard Lochhead MSP ◦ Humza Yousaf MSP ◦ Local Government: ◦ East Lothian Council ◦ Non-Governmental Organisations ◦ Reform Scotland ◦ Event Scotland ◦ Religions ◦ Catholic Church - 2.5 million members ◦ Business: ◦ Chamber of Commerce, Edinburgh, Scotland - 1980 members ◦ Chamber of Commerce, Scottish Borders, Scotland - 175 members ◦ Written Words, Scotland ◦ Scotland IS (Scotlandʹs software federation), Scotland - 250 member businesses ◦ Legal Knowledge Scotland ◦ ICIPIA Limited, Scotland ◦ Pulsant Limited, Scotland ◦ Gillian Kyle, Scotland ◦ Academia ◦ University of Guelph, Canada ◦ Scots Language Centre, Scotland ◦ University of Otago, New Zealand ◦ Cli Gàidhlig, (Gaelic Language School), Scotland ◦ Sport ◦ The Scottish Football League - 30 member clubs ◦ The Royal Caledonian Curling Club ◦ Culture and Arts: ◦ Chicago Scots, USA - 1300 members ◦ The Associated Clan Donald Societies, New Zealand - 500 members ◦ The Society of St. Andrew of Scotland (Queensland) Limited, Australia -600 members ◦ Clan Donald Society of New South Wales, Australia - 180 members ◦ Perth Burns Club, Scotland ◦ Robert Burns Worldwide Federation (consisting of 285 Burns Clubs worldwide) - 80,000 members ◦ St Andrew-Caledonian Society of Calgary, Canada - 275 members ◦ Friends of Scotland, USA (their Dressed to Kilt event seen annually by over 10 million people) ◦ Scottish Cultural Centre, Vancouver, Canada - 150 members ◦ Scots Around the World, Canada ◦ Influential Individuals ◦ Sir Tom Farmer CVO, CBE, KCSG, FRSE, DL, Scotland (Businessman and philanthropist) ◦ Sir Sean Connery, Scotland (film star and philanthropist) via his Friends of Scotland organisation in the USA ◦ Keith Patrick Cardinal OʹBrian, Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh (Head of the Catholic Church in Scotland) Dotscot believes that with this level of support apparent from the few people and organisations contacted initially, instigating a more systematic, detailed marketing campaign would ensure Dotscot will easily be able to secure domain sales in line with its projections. b) ii. Relations to the community and its constituent parts/groups. dotScot Registry Limited is based in Scotland, at the heart of the Community. The board includes a former President of the St. Andrews and Caledonian Society of Vancouver and current special adviser to the Centre for Scottish Studies at Simon Fraser University in Canada. Three members of the board are based in Scotland with one outside of Scotland. dotScot Registry Limited is a not-for-profit company accountable for bringing the global community of Scots together on the internet and promoting the .scot TLD for the benefit of that community. There is a particular focus on the area of supporting Scottish cultural endeavours at home and across the globe. dotScot Registry Limited has a close relationship with the Scottish Government enshrined in a joint Memorandum of Understanding. This is supported by a Policy Advisory Group whose role is to ensure that the .scot TLD is appraised and aware of Scottish Government policy in all relevant matters. Dotscot Registry is thus accountable to the Scottish Government. dotscot Registry Limited has been working closely with the UK Government and has a letter of Non-Objection from them. dotScot Registry Limited is thus accountable to the UK Government. b) iii. Accountability mechanisms of the applicant to the community. The structure of dotScot Registry Limited is set as a Not-For-Profit Company. This means the companyʹs profits are not returned as dividends but are instead used to further the aims of the business and to promote Scotland generally. Because of this we have the unequivocal backing of the Scottish Government and a Memorandum of Understanding is in place with them backed by letters of support from the First minister, his Cabinet and local government amongst others. Through this close relationship, dotSco Registry Limited intends to reach out to the worldwide family of Scots and bring them together to benefit and enhance Scotland, its peoples and culture. This communications channel will inevitably be two-way with the diaspora and others becoming more aware of current Scottish affairs and vice-versa

Q20 c) - Description of the community-based purpose c) i. Intended registrants in the TLD. The .scot TLD will benefit registrants by providing the worldwide family of Scots with their own domain, reflecting an online community defined by a shared commitment to Scottish identity, culture and economic promotion. This benefit has already been anticipated by Scots organisations across the world with letters of support from such groups, businesses and societies from America, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and many other places beside. Intended registrants are, among others, the following: 1.Scottish private sector - businesses registered in Scotland that have functioning websites or are planning them. 2. Scottish public sector - the constituent parts of the following organisations: The Scottish Government, Executive Non-Departmental Public Bodies, Advisory Non-Departmental Public Bodies, Executive Agencies, Non-Ministerial Departments, Tribunals, Commissioners/Ombudsmen, Public Corporations, National Health Service Boards, Local Authorities, Police Forces, Fire and Rescue Services, and higher and further education establishments. 3. Scottish voluntary sector - the 1300 members of the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations. 4.. Elsewhere - as outlined in 20a above (delineation). c) ii. Intended end-users of the TLD. From the perspective of Internet users generally, the .scot domain will provide a reference point for those seeking information linked to Scottish themes such as business, arts, culture, language and history. Scots culture and heritage is of worldwide interest and there are whole industries devoted to it. The Dotscot Registry intends to ensure that .scot domain names are perceived as the definitive place to find and access all things Scottish, with the highest reputation. It is felt that this exposure will enhance the differentiation of things Scottish allowing them to compete more effectively in the market and raise their profiles. c) iii. Related activities the applicant has carried out or intends to carry out in service of this purpose. Dotscot Registry was formed on the basis of research conducted in 2008 both inside and outside of Scotland (see attached report). It demonstrated widespread support for a .scot TLD amongst intended registrants and end-users in Scotland and in the Scottish diaspora. It is intended that this early research be built upon with: ◦ continued, ongoing research into Scottish culture, heritage and languages both at home and abroad; ◦ collaboration with Universities and other bodies researching Scottish culture, heritage and languages; ◦ collaboration with Scottish Societies and organisations to further participation in Scottish cultural, historical and linguistic life; ◦ Improving and enhancing the reputation of Scotland internationally. c) iv. Explanation of how the purpose is of a lasting nature. The purpose of the .scot TLD is indeed of a lasting nature. The name, as referred in 18 and in 20 d), is a long established and widely used contraction of the name of the Scottish community and of its community, that has had a centuries' longstanding existence and continued presence, and a firm and vibrant community. The strength of support amongst all intended registrants and end-users for the .scot TLD guarantees the lasting purpose of uniting the Scottish community on the internet and using the .scot TLD to the benefit of that community both now and in the future. It is the intention that the International Community of Scots will grow size, reputation and prominence by use of the the .scot TLD and, ultimately, this will be the enduring legacy.

Q20 d) - Relationship between the applied-for gTLD and the community d) i. Relationship to the established name, if any, of the community. The .scot string is indicative of the word Scot, and is therefore commonly seen as a short form for both Scottish and Scotland. It is, therefore, a powerful national and communal identifier. It might connote beyond the community as a personal name (though as a name it is almost always spelled with a double ‘t') or for its occasional use as an acronym. The Community identify themselves as ʹScotsʹ and/or ʹScottishʹ hence the choice of gTLD string is optimal for addressing it. Beyond the identified Community, the chosen term is evocative of things Scottish and thus imparts a sense of belonging to that demographic. It also implies a reputationally positive perspective derived from the historical qualities of Scotland and its peoples such as honesty, integrity, invention, innovation, education, law and inclusiveness. d) ii. Relationship to the identification of community members. SCOT relates exclusively and uniquely to the community, because it is the worldwide used contraction of the name of the area, and to how the people and culture are universally referred. The word "scot" in most of the major languages refers to the Scottish community d) iii. Any connotations the string may have beyond the community. Other than the references expressed above, it has no other meaning in English, nor in any major language, neither in any other language known to the applicant. It may have some meaning in languages unknown to the applicant, but completely irrelevant to the community or the purposes of the TLD

Q20 e) - Registration policies e) i. Eligibility: who is eligible to register a second-level name in the gTLD, and how will eligibility be determined. Elegibility requirement policies will be developed according to the definition of the Scottish community, and a diversity of proceedings will be implemented to ensure accommodation of all its bona fide members The .scot TLD is intended to serve the Scottish community and its general welfare. The community is composed of individuals and organizations linked to the community on a cultural and business basis, or by any other activity conducive to the welfare of the Scottish community, Elegibility requirement policies will be developed according to the definition of the Scottish community, and a diversity of proceedings will be implemented to ensure accommodation of all its bona fide members Registrations under the .scot TLD are restricted to bona-fide members of the Scottish community, and subject to the further requirement that the registrant's actions in the .scot TLD community, as well as the registrant's use of the registered domain name, must be: (i) generally accepted as legitimate; and (ii) beneficial to the cause and the welfare of the Scottish community; and (iii) commensurate with the role and importance of the registered domain name; and (iv) in good faith at the time of registration and thereafter. These conditions must always be fulfilled. The strength of the validation is kept in line with the importance of the underlying domain name base on the assumption that a typical user would reasonably make. To facilitate validation, registrants are required to state their intended use of the registered domain name. A false statement of intended use is an indication of bad faith and can be the basis for the suspension of the domain name. The validation may be assisted through pre-identification of potential registrants using existing community channels, through membership of qualified Organizations or the distribution of Promotion Codes to members. After the launch phase, the validation mode goes from pre-validation to post-validation with statistically targeted random validation, backed up by a ongoing enforcement program. The validation and enforcement programs are supported by an integrated issue tracking system. This system allows validating agents and personnel to cooperate and interact with the registrant. The system keeps track of decisions made by the agents and stores supplemental documentary evidence that may be supplied by the registrants e) iii. Name selection: what types of second-level names may be registered in the gTLD. The fundamental rule on which name selection is based is part of the policy principles: the domain names may be registered considering the registrant‘s relationship to the Scottish community, and the use of the domain name must be commensurate to the role and importance of the domain name. The role and importance of the domain name registrations is based on the meaning an average user would reasonably make of a domain name in the context of the Scottish community e) iii. Content/Use: what restrictions, if any, the Registry operator will impose on how a registrant may use its registered name. Dot Scot Registry, as the Registry Operator, will adopt policies to ensure that the use of the domain names is: (i) generally accepted as legitimate; and (ii) beneficial to the cause and the values of the Scottish community; and (iii) in good faith at the time of registration and thereafter. This will be verified according to: 1) the intended use statement supplied by the domain registrant at the time of registration and/or the explicit agreement to the terms and conditions including the the .scot TLD use policies. 2) an ongoing enforcement program. e) iv. Enforcement: what investigation practices and mechanisms exist to enforce the policies above, what resources are allocated for enforcement, and what appeal mechanisms are available to registrants. The purpose of the enforcement program is to protect the credibility of the the .scot TLD for its local in international public. In particular, upholds the community-based purpose of the .scot TLD and helps prevent misuse or malicious behaviour. The enforcement program is based on statistically targeted random investigations and on a complaint follow-up process. The statistical targeting is strongly automated and involves the use of search engines and the analysis of Registry data related to behaviour of registrants. Depending on the type of misuse to be investigated, web site content or content sent to victims of abuse will reviewed and analyzed by investigators. Enhanced investigation takes place if the registrant has a bad track record in terms of compliance with the rules of the the .scot TLD. Other violations of public record (such as UDRP or URS cases) will also be taken into account. If content or use of an existing .scot domain name demonstrate that the registrant has shown bad faith by stating a false intended use, the domain name is suspended. If a registrar is complicit with systematic violations of the the .scot TLD policies or causes an unacceptable burden for the validation and enforcement program by negligence, the Registry can restrict that registrar's access to the new registrations, subject its inventory of the .scot TLD domains to enhanced investigation and require it conduct its own post-validation program. An appeals process is available for all administrative measures taken in the framework of the enforcement program. The first instance of the appeals process is managed by the Registry service provider. Dot Scot Registry will engage the relevant ADR providers of its area to establish a second instance appeal process.

Q22 - Protection of Geographic Names

1. Reserved List of Geographic Names

In accordance with Specification 5 of the proposed TLD Registry Agreement published as Attachment to Module 5 of the Applicant Guidebook by ICANN, and with Governmental Advisory Committee (GAC) advice on geographic names at the second level, the .scot Registry will put the following names on the reserved list, therefore making them unavailable for registration or any other use:

* 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;

* 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.

Technically, this is achieved by utilising the advanced domain name rule engine that is part of the CORE Registration System and described in detail in the answer to Question 28. As laid out there, the underlying set of checks can be tuned to block registrations of .scot names based on various syntactic rules, multiple reserved names lists, and patterns. Prior to the launch of the .scot TLD, the rule engine will be configured in accordance with the reserved list mandated by Specification 5, which means that the listed names are not available for registration by registrars.

2. Exceptions

However, the .scot Registry recognizes that there may be cases where a request to register and use a geographic name at the second level should be considered legitimate, valid and useful.

For registration requests from the relevant public authority, the .scot Registry will put in place the procedure agreed between the GAC and Afilias for the .info gTLD, as referenced in the letter written by Mohamed Sharil Tarmizi, GAC Chair, on Sept 9, 2003; see https://gacweb.icann.org/download/attachments/1540128/dotinfocircular1.pdf.

Technically, the registrar needs to use the authorisation code supplied by the registrant as the domain authinfo in the EPP 〈domain:create〉 request, which will let the request bypass the rule engineʹs blocking mechanism and permit the registration.

3. Additional monitoring

The .scot Registry does not plan to monitor use of geographic names below the second level (i.e. subdomains used by a .scot TLD domain name registrant), as those procedures are both difficult and ineffective. Available dispute resolution mechanisms are a more adequate resolution procedure in cases where third or higher level domains unduly use country or their territories.