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Digital Brand Management Services
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Digital Brand Management FAQs - .ASIA Frequently Asked Questions
.ASIA Frequently Asked Questions
What
is .ASIA?
.ASIA is a new Sponsored Top-Level Domain Name
(sTLD) that is intended to serve and promote the Asia Pacific Internet
community. The Asia Pacific Region consists of 73
countries, as defined by ICANN.
Why is there a need for a .ASIA
domain?
With more than 60 percent of the world’s population
(and over 90 languages), Asia is a region that is experiencing tremendous
economic, cultural and technical growth. Asia has begun to emerge from
its financial and economic problems of the 1990s. The DotAsia Registry
sponsors, who will be responsible for the administration of this new
extension, believe that a special, dedicated domain can help players
in the region to realize their global citizenship as well as the potential
for regionally targeted efforts.
The Internet is playing an increasingly important
role in the resurgent economies in the Pan-Asia and Asia-Pacific regions.
As corporations and entities look beyond their local markets an online
identity is key, and a regional domain is a logical next growth step.
Similarly, when multi-nationals establish presence in the region, they
need a regional identity instead of simply a local one. For example,
if a company establishes an Asia headquarters in Shanghai, a “.CN” address
may be best for communicating with prospective clients in China. However,
when this company visits Japan, a .ASIA address may reinforce the broader
scope of their market. A regional address may also help local companies
to overcome biases when they expand outside their home market. The sponsors
of .ASIA believe a new domain name will satisfy demand for a “virtual
central market” with a neutral regional identity.
Who would want a .ASIA domain?
Who are the target customers?
.ASIA is a highly recognizable extension that
is short, easy to remember, versatile but specific and focused on the
Asian identity. “Asia” covers a broad region yet elicits a clear concept
and coherence of the community, providing registrants tremendous value
in establishing an Internet presence with global recognition and regional
significance.
The .ASIA domain name can be used by individuals,
businesses, organizations as well as community groups. The ASIA sponsors
believe there is a recognizable latent demand in Asia for a TLD with
regional significance and versatility and that this new extension will
address this gap in the domain namespace.
What makes .ASIA different
from other new extensions?
The .ASIA Sponsored gTLD will allow companies,
organizations, events and individuals within the Asia community to establish
their online identity in a regional context. While current gTLDs tend
to focus on a vertical group (e.g. commercial entities, network providers,
organizations, museums, cooperatives, etc.) within the global Internet,
.ASIA can embrace a horizontal perspective with a clear brand to reach
and enrich the broad global community. While ccTLDs are designed to
serve local needs, .ASIA will allow registrants to be identified with
a broader region.
What is the DotAsia Organization
Limited?
DotAsia Organization Limited (DotAsia) was
created for the purpose of initiating and managing a Top Level Domain
Registry for the Asia community. DotAsia is a not-for-profit membership-based
organization incorporated in Asia, registered as a Limited-by-Guarantee
Company in Hong Kong. DotAsia will be the Registry Operator and the
Sponsoring Organization for the .ASIA Top Level Domain Registry.
What Dispute Resolution Process
will be used for .ASIA?
The .ASIA Registry will adopt the Universal
Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP) as its default DRP. However, it will
also explore the feasibility and value of applying local dispute resolution
policy developed by participating ccTLDs (Sponsor Members) wherever
possible; for example, in cases where both the complainant and the respondent
come from the same economy. This may be particularly useful for Internationalized
Domain Name cases. The Registry has not yet finalized its plans in this
regard.
In addition, the Registry will adopt a Charter
Eligibility Dispute Resolution Policy (CEDRP) to help to restrict non-compliant
domain name registrations. DotAsia will have extensive reserved name
arrangements with ccTLDs so that certain level of geographical names
and politically sensitive names can be protected. Last but not least,
DotAsia will do joint marketing and product bundling with participating
ccTLDs (Sponsor Members).
What is the background of .ASIA?
The beginnings of the .ASIA initiative can
be traced back to discussions
started in 2000 around interest for a regional TLD, .AP.
It became clear that there are many regional organizations in the Pan-Asia
and Asia-Pacific region yet, unlike in Europe, there is no pan-governmental
organization like the EU, and such is unlikely to be formed in the near
future. Furthermore, the code AP, although not used at the moment, is
a reserved code for “African Regional Industrial Property Organization”
and ICANN reserves two-character
extensions for ccTLDs.
Throughout 2003, the concept for .ASIA began
to take shape as informal discussions continued during different regional
and international conferences.
In December 2003, ICANN announced a
Request for Proposal (RFP) for Sponsored Top Level Domain Names
which accelerated plans for .ASIA. As discussions progressed from informal
conversations into a response to the RFP from ICANN, a structure for
a new sponsoring organization emerged that allowed many different organizations
in the region to participate. The formation of DotAsia has therefore
been the result of a grassroots initiative that gradually gained support
from a broad and diverse range of well-established
organizations in the region.
Who can register names under
.ASIA?
Legal entities within the Pan-Asia and Asia-Pacific
region (defined by ICANN as Asia/Australia/Pacific
region) can register names in the .ASIA extension.
Do I need to have a local presence
in the Asia Pacific Region to register a .ASIA domain?
In order to register a .ASIA domain name at
least one of the domain contacts (Registrant, Admin, Tech or Billing)
must be a legal entity in the Asia Pacific region. Legal entities
will include natural persons, corporations, institutions, etc. VeriSign
can provide this service to corporate domain name management clients.
More details will be available in the coming months.
When will .ASIA domains be
available for registration?
The initial launch will be phased to take into
consideration intellectual property rights as well as the best interests
of the rights of others in the community. The Sunrise Phase 1 Period
(government reserved names) is scheduled to start October 9 and continue
through Land Rush. The Sunrise Phase 2A "Early Bird" Period
for trademark holders will also open October 9, and close October 30.
Sunrise Phase 2B (general registered marks) Sunrise 2C (extended protection),
and Sunrise 3 (Registered Entity Names) will be open November 13, 2007
to January 15, 2008. The Land Rush Period is now scheduled to begin
in February, followed by first-come, first-served general registrations
in March 2008. All dates are subject to change at the Registry’s discretion.
Does my trademark need to be
from one of the Asia Pacific countries?
No. The Registry will accept registered marks
from any country during Sunrise 2. The trademarks do NOT need
to have coverage in one of the Asia Pacific countries to participate
in the Sunrise Period (e.g., CTM, International trademarks and Asia
Pacific trademarks will all be accepted).
Does the trademark owner need
to match the domain holder?
Yes. During Sunrise 2A and 2B the domain
name applied for should match the registered mark. In addition, the
owner of the registered trademark should match the Registrant contact.
During Sunrise 2A, the applicant may have to provide documentary evidence
that indicates that the Registrant contact of the applicant is the trademark
owner if requested by the Registry. The Registry also has the
right to request such documentary evidence during the other phases of
Sunrise 2.
Will the Registry offer Internationalized
Domain Name (IDN) services?
Yes. .ASIA will launch with ASCII domain name
services first. Afterwards, it will launch IDN services step by step,
language by language, strictly following the IDN standards of IETF and
IDN guidelines issued by ICANN.
What is the difference between
Land Rush and Go-Live?
The requirements for both the Land Rush and
Go-Live Periods are essentially the same (The applicant must meet the
local presence requirement). The difference is in the way the
applications for the phases are processed.
All applications received during Sunrise 2,
Sunrise 3 and Land Rush will be considered to be received at the same
time. If only one successful application has been received for a domain
name at the end of the Land Rush Period it will be allocated to that
applicant. If more than one successful application was received,
verified participants will take part in an auction to determine the
winner.
Applications submitted after the Go-Live will
be processed on a first-come, first-served basis.
What are the requirements for
local presence?
The local presence requirements are as follows:
- Any one of the associated
domain contacts (registrant, admin, tech or billing) must be a legal
entity (natural person, company, corporation, etc.) in one of the 73
jurisdictions in the DotAsia Community. VeriSign Digital Brand Management
Services can assist clients in satisfying the local presence requirement.
- The local contact
must specify the following:
- Type of legal entity
(company or person)
- Form of ID (i.e.
Certificate of Incorporation, Passport)
- ID Number
2-Char ISO Country Code (i.e. JP for Japan,
AU for Australia, etc)
What is the launch schedule?
The launch schedule is expected to be as follows:
Phases |
Registry Timeline |
Qualification Requirements |
Sunrise 1 |
October 9, 2007 |
Reserved for government bodies and associated
organizations from the region. Corresponding governments may register
domains from the reserved list obtained during Pre-Sunrise on a first-come,
first-served basis. Companies cannot participate. |
Sunrise 2 |
October 9 - 30, 2007 (SR2a; SR2b)
November 13, 2007
– January 15, 2008 (SR2c) |
Holders of registered trademarks may apply
for domain names based on their relevant names. Includes 3 sub-phases
(SR2a; SR2b; SR2c). Sunrise 2 will be based on registered trademarks.
Pending trademarks will not be accepted. Final acceptable trademark
jurisdictions in addition to the 73 Asian jurisdictions and USA are
yet to be confirmed by Registry. |
Sunrise 3 |
November 13, 2007 – January 15, 2008 |
Entities registered in the Asia Pacific
region may apply for domains that match their registered name. Final
supporting documents must be provided to validation agent/registry to
be confirmed. |
Quiet Period |
|
|
Land rush |
February 2008 |
Anyone who meets the general requirements
may apply for a domain name. |
Auction |
|
Auctions will be held for all competing
applicants for domains that received more than one valid application
during Sunrise 2, Sunrise 3 and Land Rush. |
Go-Live |
March 2008 |
Live first-come, first-served registrations
begin. |
What are the General Allocation
rules?
The General Allocation Rules are:
- All applications
received within the time period for a phase (Sunrise 2, Sunrise 3 and
Land rush) will be considered to be received at the same time.
- Domain name requests
with only one successful application will be allocated accordingly.
- In the case where
multiple successful applications are received, auctions will be held
between the successfully verified applicants.
What other requirements will
apply during the Sunrise 2 Period?
General requirements:
- Exact word(s) of
the TM
- TM registration
number
- Country where the
prior right is held
- Date of TM application
(see cut off dates for eligibility)
- Date of TM registration
- Class or classes
in which the TM has been registered
- Type of registered
TM
SR2a: Early Bird Sunrise
- TM must be valid
and registered at the time of the domain name application.
- TM has been applied
before March 16, 2004.
SR2b: Registered Marks
- TM must be valid
and registered at the time of the domain name application.
- TM has been applied
before December 6, 2006.
SR2c: Extended Protection
- Successful application
in SR2a or SR2b.
- Application will
be base on TM + words in the Class description (i.e. ABC trademark registered
in NICE class 1 “Chemicals” can apply for ABCchemicals.asia)
What other requirements will
apply during the Sunrise 3 Period?
The following requirements will also apply:
- Reserved for applicants
with a prior right based on a company or organization name registered
within any of the 73 Asian countries.
- Companies must be
registered before December 6, 2006.
Are there any Special Character
Rules for the Sunrise 2 and Sunrise 3 Periods?
The domain name must match the name of the
trademark or registered entity, with the following exceptions:
- Spaces may be omitted
or replaced by Hyphen
- Accented characters
may be replaced by base character (without accent)
- Identifiers such
as TM, SM, LTD, LLP, Inc, ®, @, may be omitted
- Word or phrases
denoting the word “Asia” and its variants, i.e., “Asian”, Asiatic”,
“Asia Pacific”, etc.
What other requirements will
apply during the Land Rush Period?
The following requirements will also apply
during the Land Rush Period:
- Open to all applicants
fulfilling local presence requirement.
- Auction system if
two or more qualifying applications are received.
What other requirements will
apply during General Registration and Go-Live?
During the General Registration and Go-Live
periods, registrations will be open to all applicants fulfilling the
local presence requirement on a first-come, first-served basis.
What are the costs for registrations
for the various phases?
Pricing is available from your VeriSign account
representative. Please note that registration fees may vary by country
or region.
When is documentary evidence
required?
Documentary evidence will only be required during
the Sunrise 2 Phases if requested by the validation agent. The validation
agent will request documentary evidence only if a publicly available
free trademark search is not available. Sunrise 3 applications will
require a certificate of incorporation or an extract from an official
company register.
How will documentary evidence
be requested?
Documentary evidence will be requested via email to
the Sunrise agent.
How long do I have to submit
documentary evidence once requested?
You will have ten calendar days to submit documentary
evidence.
What is the reconsideration
process?
The reconsideration process is available for Sunrise
applications that fail due to various errors. The validation agent
will work with the registrar directly on the specific errors which need
to be corrected.
Is the reconsideration process
mandatory?
No, it will be on a voluntary basis only.
Will the applicant have to
pay the reconsideration fee?
Any fees will depend on the actual errors in question.
How long do I have to make
the corrections?
There is no set time limit. It will be set on a case-by-case
basis.
What is a CED contact?
The CED contact stands for Charter Eligibility Declaration.
- The CED Contact
is not an additional contact.
- A legal entity in
Asia; may be a natural person or a juristic entity (corporation).
- The registrant must
specify which contact to be listed as the CED Contact.
- Additional information
must also be provided, including:
- Locality of the
claimed Legal Entity status
- Type of Legal Entity
- Form of Identification
- Identification Number
/ Code of Reference
What is an OPN contact?
The OPN stands for Operations and Notifications Contact.
Registrants for .ASIA domains may also specify an Operations and Notifications
Contact (OPN Contact) for each domain name. The OPN Contact will receive
direct notifications / reminders via email from the Registry during
Sunrise when:
- Documentary evidence
is requested
- Acceptance or declining
of an application
- Commencement and closing of auctions
What format/style is the auction?
The DotAsia auction model follows the Standard English
auction model. A bid will be considered the “maximum” that a bidder
is willing to bid to but not necessarily what will be bid at this time.
If a proxy bid is placed that is at least one increment higher than
the current bid, then the bid will be placed. Essentially, any new bid
must be at least one increment higher than the previous bid in order
to establish a new leader. Bids below the current auction price will
have no effect on the auction. The auction system will automatically
apply bids up to a user's proxy bid provided each time it is at least
one increment higher than the current bidder.
What notice will pool.com give
prior to the start of the auction?
Ten days notice will be given prior to the start of
the auction.
How do I bid during the auction?
If you are a VeriSign corporate domain names customer,
we will contact you regarding the pending auction. For more details,
please contact Enterprise Client Support or your account representative.
More details will also be available shortly from the DotAsia Web site.
How will I know if I am outbid?
Pool.com will send an email to the bidder. The status
will also be published in the auction user interface.
When will an auction end?
The auction will end once there has been no change
in bids for 24 hours. Please note that auctions will be held 24/7, so
if you have designated a particular person in your company as the bidder,
they should be aware of this.
If I win an auction when will
I become the registrant for the domain?
Once the Registry has received payment for the winning
bid, ownership will be transferred to the winning bidder.
How can I learn more about
.ASIA?
For more information on .ASIA, please call
650-426-5310. Please note that dates and information provided in this
document are subject to change at the Registry’s discretion at any time.
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