.ART Domain Names Registry Applicant :
UK Creative Ideas Limited
You will find the relevant details for this registry for the .ART domain names regarding their intended use of the registry and of .ART domain names. These answers provide insight to their projected benefits for users who register .art domain names as well as any methods proposed to mitigate any foreseeable harms that might emerge from their proposal for .ART domain names.
TLD |
Applicant |
Priority# |
Details |
| .ART | Uniregistry, Corp. | 300 | read |
| .ART | Top Level Design, LLC | 308 | read |
| .ART | .ART REGISTRY INC. | 428 | read |
| .ART | UK Creative Ideas Limited | 571 | read |
| .ART | Baxter Tigers, LLC (Donuts Inc.) | 726 | read |
| .ART | Aremi Group S.A. | 1514 | read |
| .ART | Top Level Domain Holdings Limited | 1523 | read |
| .ART | Merchant Law Group LLP | 1754 | read |
| .ART | Dadotart, Inc. | 1827 | read |
| .ART | EFLUX.art, LLC | 1840 | read |
“New gTLD Application Submitted to ICANN by:
1. Full legal name
UK Creative Ideas Limited
2. Address of the principal place of business
12 Mount Havelock
Douglas IM1 2QC
IM
Mission/Purpose
18(a). Describe the mission/purpose of your proposed gTLD.
THE MISSION AND PURPOSE OF THE NEW RESTRICTED .ART gTLD IS TO CREATE A UNIVERSAL ONLINE MEDIUM FOR THE WORLD OF ART TO ALLOW FOR INCREASED INTERACTION IN THE GLOBAL ART COMMUNITY.
The .art gTLD will be a new generation gTLD serving the interests of the artistic community, as well as internet users more generally. The .art domain will provide an internet space for the artistic community, not in the sense of representing the existing community, but instead through the creation of an online community for artists, owners and keepers of works of art, commercial art organisations (such as galleries and auction and trading houses), not-for-profit organisations (such as museums, foundations, professional associations), supporting businesses (such as insurance, appraisal, transport) and customers and members of the general public interested in art. The .art gTLD is particularly focused on engaging the visual arts community worldwide. UK Creative Ideas Limited (“Creative Ideas”), as the applicant, intends to create an authoritative and innovative internet space for internet users to access art-related services, information and products through the .art gTLD. Creative Ideas firmly believes in an inclusive model for managing a global public .art gTLD and intends to implement mechanisms for the democratization and consolidation of the art community through global infrastructure, supported by self-governing elected structures. As such, Creative Ideas intends to enable those involved in the art industry to contribute to the evolution of the .ART gTLD e.g. by advisory councils. The mission and purpose of the .art gTLD includes:
- The democratization and consolidation of the art community through a global infrastructure;
- Using the latest technology to grant access to the responsible user; and
- New levels of development through high quality content.
The .art gTLD will provide an authentic resource for members of the public, allowing for information and professional services to be accessed by end users in a simple and trustworthy way. With the aim of creating a unified, global medium for the art community to interact, Creative Ideas intends to democratize the decision-making processes of the gTLD. The global structures for the management of .art include a Constituent Assembly, which will be formed in accordance with the principles of electivity, regional and professional representation, as well as transparency of decision making. The Constituent Assembly will be supported by other organisations which focus on professional representation, regional representation, day-to-day management and executive bodies.
Creative Ideas intends to create a range of technical, artistic and information based services supported by the latest technology. The .ART gTLD will contribute to an effective exchange of information in many ways, including the creation of new forms of art exhibition, education, promotion, business solutions, search technologies, and industry related information. The .art gTLD will represent a new level of development through high quality content, with its architecture incorporating high-efficiency filters that will provide the technological foundation for neutralizing cyber-crime and abusive use. This platform is supported by a registration policy that is transparent and intends to protect internet users.
Under the registration policy, users will be required to provide information about their connection to the art industry to allow broad audiences to have access to a wide array of relevant, inexpensive, high-quality information and search related services. In this regard, the .art gTLD will represent an innovative, secure and high-quality domain space for the artistic community.
The .art gTLD’s mission and purpose of the proposed new gTLD share ICANN’s initiatives to promote the public interest. Creative Ideas is committed to contribute towards achieving such initiatives in line with ICANN’s Affirmation of Commitments, which includes:
- consumer trust: the .art gTLD registry will operate in a centralised manner with a restricted registration policy, allowing only those associated with the art industry, who meet the eligibility requirements, to register. Consumers will be able to act with greater confidence and assurance that the information that they receive from the .art gTLD is provided by those related to the art industry. As .art domain names are subject to registration standards, policies and procedures under Creative Ideas’ control, this limits the possibility of malicious conduct within the .art domain space;
- competition: the .art gTLD is anticipated to contribute to the initiatives of competition and consumer choice through its operation focused on promoting consumer trust and convenience. It may have the effect of instilling such initiatives between prospective registrants in the art industry who will enjoy a greater choice of gTLDs for registration of relevant domain names. Increased trust and innovation within the .art gTLD will drive existing and new top level domain (TLD) registry operators to make improvements in mechanisms to enhance consumer trust of their TLDs ; and
- consumer choice: the proposed new gTLD will enable user-driven improvements and innovations with specific relevance to the art industry, with second and third level domain names to be registered by those related to the art industry. This will allow consumers more choices for interacting with the art industry, as well as encouraging competition between members of the industry to best interact with such consumers. As Creative Ideas has effective control over the registration and use of domain names under .art domain space, with its aim to develop and promote the art industry, this will also contribute towards general service innovations on the internet.
It is difficult to anticipate the number of registrations in the restricted registry for .art, as the number may be determined by the effectiveness of marketing and the reception of internet users to the new gTLDs more generally. It is estimated that between 25,000 and 80,000 registrations may take place in the first year. It is difficult to estimate the number of people engaged at different levels within the visual arts community worldwide; however as a portion of the population, the number is likely to be significant and growing. In 2009 there were over 400,000 listed businesses engaging in the art market worldwide and between 5 and 15 million individuals engaging in arts related activities. Currently, the visual arts community, including individuals, businesses and non-commercial organisations, is scattered over the existing domain name structure or do not have internet representation at all. The mission of .art is to create a democratised, user-friendly, professional environment for this growing art community. Creative Ideas intends to utilise geographic names and IDNs to support a positive user experience for users regardless of geography or language.
In its endeavour to promote and expand the .art gTLD, Creative Ideas will continually comply with all operational, technical and policy requirements, as well as maintaining consumer trust and the stability of the internet. Creative Ideas will keep ICANN reasonably informed of any material developments relating to .art gTLD including compliance with the continued operations instrument obligations as set out in Specification 8 of the Registry Agreement.
18(b). How do you expect that your proposed gTLD will benefit registrants, Internet users, and others?
18(B)I. WHAT IS THE GOAL OF YOUR PROPOSED gTLD IN TERMS OF AREAS OF SPECIALTY, SERVICE LEVELS OR REPUTATION?
The creation of the .art gTLD will allow for increased speciality through its creation of domain names designed for use specifically for the art industry. It will provide people interested in art with an infrastructure for sharing of information, expertise, products and services, as well as encouraging the creation of various applications by the users themselves. By specialising in the art industry, the .art gTLD intends to open the world of art to internet users, including the art market and a broader audience, to make it easy for anyone to find, buy, and sell original works of visual art. Such services will be supported by the high-quality content and technological innovation of the .art gTLD. It is anticipated that the creation of an industry specific internet space for art will increase the service levels, relevance and accuracy of information that is available to the broader community of internet users. These increased service levels, combined with increased security measures and effective functionality will provide a trusted and positive user experience when engaging with the art community through the .art gTLD.
18(B)II. WHAT DO YOU ANTICIPATE YOUR PROPOSED gTLD WILL ADD TO THE CURRENT SPACE, IN TERMS OF COMPETITION, DIFFERENTIATION, OR INNOVATION?
It is anticipated that the proposed .art gTLD will make positive contributions to the wider internet community by providing:
DIFFERENTIATION (INCREASED TRUST):
The .art gTLD will simplify how internet users interact with the art industry by providing a distinctive domain space for the art industry and internet users more generally to interact. Internet users will be able to access authentic information and resources about art directly through the .art gTLD. The current domain name system has shown that it is vulnerable to malicious abuses due to registration of domain names which seek to exploit consumer confusion. The .art gTLD can address some of these vulnerabilities by maintaining control over the domain names registered under the .art domain space, through its registration policy promoting transparency and protection and its use of technological solutions. The .art gTLD intends to create a unified universal medium to connect all participants of the art industry in order to establish a global platform, where an increased flow of information and access will strengthen the growth of the art community. Additional services such as IPv6 protocol access to services, intelligent and efficient searching mechanisms, and cloud computing technologies based on the Software as a Service (SaaS) business management concept will also be provided as innovative technological solutions for users. Together with increased trust, internet users will be able to rely on the authoritativeness of the domain names under .art domain space, which will differentiate interaction between internet users and the art industry.
COMPETITION:
The differentiation of .art gTLD, as a trusted site for the art industry, will drive existing and new TLD registry operators to make improvements in mechanisms to improve consumer trust of their TLDs. The .art gTLD will encourage internet users to interact with domain names under the .art domain in connection with information and resources for the art industry. The existing TLD registry operators and members of the art community relying on the existing domain names system will be required to address and overcome some of the shortfalls of the existing system. As a result, .art will have a flow on effect to enable increased competition. The benefits of the proposed .art will be distributed not only to industry professionals or its direct customers interacting with an industry specific gTLD, but to the internet community at large forcing improved services and competitive pricing in the market place.
INNOVATION:
With the expansion of the internet community, the existing TLD structure presents limitations, in particular in terms of the ability to register relevant domain names. These limitations are reflected in the difficulties in registering appropriate domain names, as well as determining authentic information associated with professional organisations and businesses. .art intends to overcome some of these shortcomings of the existing domain name system through the registration of second and third level domain names by registrants that are part of the worldwide art community. The anticipated use of geographic names and IDNs is intended to connect internet users with relevant information and encourage linguistic and cultural diversity.
Through the creation of an optimal architecture of software and services, .art will provide all responsible users with access to this new online medium. Along with the general innovation of creating a global network for the art industry, the .art gTLD presents several innovative technological features. The .art gTLD will:
- utilise a hierarchic classification system for domain names to create a searchable global registry of art works, individuals and services, to ensure that that the .art domain is of high-quality and easy to use.
- utilise the IPv6 protocol to create the technological foundations for various services and products.
- offer the premium service of a cloud computing platform based on the SaaS business management concept to allow for content, communications and collaboration management, customer relations management, enterprise resource planning system and supply chain management. This innovative service will provide users with an effective instrument to manage any activity from within the .art gTLD.
The .art gTLD will present a clearly dedicated internet space in which those involved in the art industry, and internet users more generally, may use domain names that are relevant to their knowledge, products or services. .art presents an innovative approach to interaction with the art industry and its associated businesses, addressing the currently unmet needs in the domain name system in terms of consumer choice.
18(B)III. WHAT GOALS DOES YOUR PROPOSED gTLD HAVE IN TERMS OF USER EXPERIENCE?
The proposed .art will provide a positive user experience, which meets the changing and growing needs of the global internet community. Creative Ideas will maintain control over the registration and use of domain names and will ensure that the new gTLD will only be used for purposes in line with the mission and purpose of the .art gTLD. Therefore, .art gTLD will:
- provide an easy and intuitive reference and access point for internet users wanting to engage with the art industry;
- represent authenticity, in accordance with the requirements set out within the registration policy, thus promoting user confidence;
- direct internet users to relevant information in a timely manner by creating domain names on demand;
- use IDNs to enable customer to interact directly in their native language;
- use geographic names to localise its websites to connect with internet users in the relevant regions and to comply with local laws;
- enhance security and minimise security risks by implementing appropriate technical and policy measures; and
- minimise potential abuses in the registration process reducing overall costs to businesses and users.
Creative Ideas intends to create relevant domain names for use including product, services or geographic names in the second or third level domain names. In accordance with the registration policy and the proposed measures for protection of geographic names as outlined in response to Question 22, Creative Ideas will use geographic names to localise its websites in the countries in which its target audience, the worldwide art community, has a significant presence. The use of geographic names is intended to:
- connect internet users with relevant information as applicable to the territory; and
- comply with required rules and regulations in the national territory.
Creative Ideas will also utilise Internationalized Domain Names (IDNs) at the second level, initially utilising the Latin script. The use of IDNs will allow internet users to engage with .art in their native language, creating a more positive user experience and encouraging diversity. The use of IDNs is intended attract and represent the global art community within the .art gTLD. As the use of the .art gTLD evolves, it is anticipated that the use of IDNs, including additional languages, will increase within the .art domain space.
.art should address some of the concerns that the current domain name system is open to potential malicious abuse and user confusion in the registration processes. Although the current system allows an eligible party to lodge a claim through existing Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP) or other dispute resolution processes, the .art gTLD eligibility requirements may reduce potential abuses in the registration processes and overall costs to internet users. User confidence in the domain name system will be strengthened, which will ultimately contribute towards promoting ICANN’s core values in benefiting the public interest.
18(B)IV. PROVIDE A COMPLETE DESCRIPTION OF THE APPLICANTʹS INTENDED REGISTRATION POLICIES IN SUPPORT OF THE GOALS LISTED ABOVE
The proposed registration policy is attached in response to Question 28.
Registrations under the .art gTLD will be open to eligible registrants, that is, those who are part of the art community. This includes artists, owners and keepers of works of art, commercial art organisations (such as galleries and auction and trading houses), not-for-profit organisations (such as museums, foundations, and professional associations), supporting businesses (such as insurance, appraisal, transport) and customers and members of the general public interested in art. Registrants are responsible for the accuracy of the information that they provide. Should the information provided be inaccurate the domain name may be suspended.
In addition, the domain name registration processes in the proposed new gTLD will address the requirements as mandated by ICANN, including but not limited to, rights abuse prevention measures, such as the use of the Trademark Clearinghouse.
If registrants are found in breach of the terms and conditions in the registration policy, the .art gTLD registry will be able to exercise the right to suspend or cancel the registration of the domain name. This should go some way towards deterring non bona fide registrants.
18(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.
Creative Ideas is committed to the protection of privacy and confidential information in accordance with its objective of increasing consumer trust and providing a safe and legitimate internet space for internet users. Privacy and confidential information will be protected in accordance with all applicable laws and regulations relating to internet security, privacy and user’s confidential information. Creative Ideas complies with all relevant requirements and standards for the art industry. The .art gTLD will develop a privacy policy and practice which will protect the personal data of its registrants. The .art gTLD and its policy will comply with Specification 9, subsection 1(e), of the Registry Operator Code of Conduct contained within the Registry Agreement.
Creative Ideas will provide a publicly available and searchable WHOIS look up facility, where information about the domain name status, registrant information including administrative and technical contact details can be found in accordance with Specification 4 of the Registry Agreement. In order to prevent misuse of the WHOIS look up facility, Creative Ideas will utilise measures including a requirement where any person submitting a WHOIS database query is required to read and agree to the terms and conditions in accordance with the registration policy. This will include the terms of use that the WHOIS database is provided for information purposes only and that the user agrees not to use the information for any other purposes such as allowing or enabling the transmission of unsolicited commercial advertising or other communication.
Creative Ideas will deploy Domain Name System Security Extensions (DNSSEC) which is intended to benefit both Creative Ideas and its users interacting with Creative Ideas online. DNSSEC provides additional security by validating information in the transmission, therefore it is intended to benefit those who publish information in the domain name system (DNS) and the users who retrieve information from the new .art gTLD.
Further, Creative Ideas will comply with all security measures, policies and practices required by ICANN in the Registry Agreement and any relevant Consensus Policy for protecting the privacy and confidential information of registrants and users in the new .art gTLD.
18(B)VI. DESCRIBE WHETHER AND IN WHAT WAYS OUTREACH AND COMMUNICATIONS WILL HELP TO ACHIEVE YOUR PROJECTED BENEFITS.
The proposed new gTLD will be publicised by a media plan to promote recognition of the new gTLD within the internet community to be a trusted site and as a sign of authenticity. Creative Ideas has an extensive plan to promote the.art gTLD in both the short and long-term.
The media campaign will largely reach out to the target audience of the .art gTLD, including:
- creators of works of art;
- owners of works of art;
- commercial organisations;
- not-for-profit organisations;
- supporting businesses;
- art historians and expert community, and;
- consumers and members of the public interested in art.
Creative Ideas is intending to invest significant resources into the promotion, outreach and communication of its .art gTLD to both the art world and internet users more generally.
Creative Ideas will utilise a variety of media types, such as:
- traditional news media, both print and electronic;
- specialised media targeted at the art and technology industries;
- media of general interest;
- social media;
- events;
- sponsorship, and;
- traditional advertising.
Initially the .art gTLD will allow for re-direction to existing sites to encourage interaction with the .art gTLD in a familiar manner. However, over time, it is foreseen that communication to the internet community of the existence of the proposed new gTLD and encouragement to utilise the trusted site will contribute towards minimising malicious abuses and protecting internet users.
18(c). What operating rules will you adopt to eliminate or minimize social costs?
As a restricted gTLD, registration will be open to participants within the art industry that meet the eligibility requirements of the registration policy. Therefore, it is not anticipated that third parties and⁄or trademark owners unrelated to the art industry will incur costs in relation to the .art gTLd. The entities wishing to register domain names must ensure that all the policy requirements for registration are satisfied. Creative Ideas will utilise the services of the Trademark Clearinghouse to ensure that domain names registered and the use of those domain names, do not infringe any registered third party intellectual property rights.
As the .art gTLD intends to increase the awareness of the art industry to the wider general public, as well as within its own community, with a limited scope for registration, it is estimated that money spent by consumers who have been targeted by malicious abuse in utilising services over the internet will reduce over time as a result of the new .art gTLD. By encouraging the art industry to communicate and interact with internet users under the .art gTLD, it is anticipated that there will be a reduction in consumer confusion, thus contributing towards ICANN’s initiatives in promoting the public interest.
18(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?
Creative Ideas will implement three phases for application for domain names in the .art gTLD.
1. A Sunrise Period for trade mark holders and well-known art organisations to be determined by Creative Ideas. There will be a fee for trademark holders and free registration for such well-known art organisations to register domain names within the .art gTLD.
2. A Land Rush period in which any eligible users may apply for a domain name under the art gTLD with any requirements outlined in the registration policy. If there are competing applications for the same domain name, the domain name will be allocated through an auction.
3. General Availability will occur after the start-up phase in which it is unlikely that there will be multiple registrants for the same name as the applicant who first lodges its request will be allocated the name.
18(C)II. EXPLAIN ANY COST BENEFITS FOR REGISTRANTS YOU INTEND TO IMPLEMENT (E.G., ADVANTAGEOUS PRICING, INTRODUCTORY DISCOUNTS, BULK REGISTRATION DISCOUNTS).
The pricing scheme for the registrants may include price reductions in the initial period. Price reductions for bulk registrations will not be permitted as they do no benefit the purpose of the .art gTLD, which is to create a network for the artistic community and to better serve the general public in the provision of accurate information, products and services. While the .art gTLD may not limit the number of registrations to each registrant, bulk and discount registrations are not applicable, in line with the registry’s mission and purpose, as bulk discounts may lead to domain squatting and other non-advantageous practices for internet users and other registrants.
18(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 PLAN.
There will be no contractual commitments regarding the magnitude of price escalation. However, the registry does not intend on increasing the price of registration for the first three years of operation. After the first three years the price may increase in accordance with an appropriate measure of inflation, as used by other gTLD registries. The .art gTLD does not, however, intend on having unwarranted price increases as that is against the mission and purpose of the .art gTLD, which aims to promote communication between members of the art community, as well as encouraging reliable and efficient interaction with internet users.
The self-governing bodies of the .art gTLD will participate in determining appropriate pricing after the initial three year period in order to ensure that .art domain names remain competitive and accessible in the market place. This in line with the mission and purpose of the art gTLD and ICANN’s affirmation of commitments to promote consumer trust, competition and consumer choice.
Community-based Designation
19. Is the application for a community-based TLD?
No”
See the entire public portion of this .ART domain registry applicant here
.ART Domain Name Registry Applicant(s)
TLD |
Applicant |
Priority# |
Details |
| .ART | Uniregistry, Corp. | 300 | read |
| .ART | Top Level Design, LLC | 308 | read |
| .ART | .ART REGISTRY INC. | 428 | read |
| .ART | UK Creative Ideas Limited | 571 | read |
| .ART | Baxter Tigers, LLC (Donuts Inc.) | 726 | read |
| .ART | Aremi Group S.A. | 1514 | read |
| .ART | Top Level Domain Holdings Limited | 1523 | read |
| .ART | Merchant Law Group LLP | 1754 | read |
| .ART | Dadotart, Inc. | 1827 | read |
| .ART | EFLUX.art, LLC | 1840 | read |
