The mission and purpose of the proposed .LANCASTER Top Level Domain (TLD) is the creation and operation of a TLD dedicated to the Applicant, its brand, services and key customers. As such the objective is that the .LANCASTER TLD will serve as an official, trusted, secure and dedicated name space for the LANCASTER brand and products. To this end the Applicant seeks to launch the .LANCASTER TLD and to create and operate an innovative and secure platform in a manner which is consistent with its subject matter whilst committing to the promotion of consumer trust, consumer protection and integrity of the .LANCASTER TLD and the associated Internet space.
The Applicant is committed to ensure that it fully complies and meets or exceeds the requirements of ICANN in terms of competition, consumer protection, security, stability and resiliency, malicious abuse issues, and rights protection in relation to the expansion of the generic Top Level Domain name space by devising and implementing mechanisms in line with ICANNʹs Consensus Policies and Temporary Policies.
The Applicant proposes to launch and operate the .LANCASTER TLD to create a new Internet ecosystem dedicated to the Applicant and to enable and facilitate potential innovations, creation and promotion of new initiatives from the Applicant. The domain name space associated with the .LANCASTER TLD will create a new environment which will enhance diversity, choice and utility of the Domain Name System, based on a segmented approach, hence encouraging specialisation, differentiation, consumer recognition, and consumer choice in line with ICANN policy development.
In order to ensure the integrity, success and to build confidence in the .LANCASTER TLD and the associated domain name space, the Applicant is dedicated to ensuring that appropriate safeguards are put in place with a view to protecting, among other things, public interest, customers, trade mark owners and other third party rights owners.
Operating and overseeing this new Internet space in a transparent, fair and efficient manner will be essential to create goodwill in the .LANCASTER TLD and to develop confidence and trust in the .LANCASTER TLD.
The fact that the Applicant intends to operate the .LANCASTER TLD as a single registrant⁄single user registry model will allow the Applicant to control the operations of the .LANCASTER TLD and prevent violation of public interest, trade mark infringement and other types of malicious conducts. The .LANCASTER TLD will thus create an environment where opportunities for abuse and malevolent conduct will be virtually eliminated.
Furthermore, the Applicant is dedicated to ensuring that the creation and operation of the .LANCASTER TLD will not have an adverse or negative affect on the operational security and stability of the Internet and the Domain Name System.
The .LANCASTER TLD will be a continuously evolving platform and serve as a base for new content and services with a view to optimising specialisation, high level of service, reliable quality content, consumer trust and innovation.
The Applicant has considered potential uses of the .LANCASTER TLD which would include creating second-level domain names that correspond with:
1. The specialisation areas of the Applicant such as:
BAGS.LANCASTER
LEATHER.LANCASTER
2. Corporate portal for key customers, such as:
CUSTOMER.LANCASTER
These are some of the potential uses which have been identified as being in line with the operation of the proposed .LANCASTER TLD following the single registrant⁄single user registry model. In addition, the Applicant will explore potential new ways of ensuring that the .LANCASTER TLD is an environment which is conducive to consumer choice and recognition, business visibility and specialisation and may in this respect implement additional types of use of the .LANCASTER TLD within the scope of the Registry Agreement to be executed before delegation of the .LANCASTER TLD.
1.1 The LANCASTER Business
The Applicant is Lancaster SARL, a French limited liability company, registered with the French Companies House Register of Bobigny under number B 387 651 565, with its registered office at 95 rue du Parc, Noisy-Le-Sec, 93130, France.
LANCASTER specialises in the design and production of well-known leather goods. The Applicant is one of the leading names in the French leather goods and accessible luxury markets.
Headquartered in Paris, the Applicant operates stores in prime city centre positions worldwide in New York, Los Angeles and Brussels, in prestigious corner outlets in leading department stores. The Applicantʹs products are available in most high-quality leather shops and online.
1.2 The LANCASTER Brand
Since its formation in 1992, LANCASTER has acquired and constantly developed reputation and goodwill in its LANCASTER brand and services worldwide through continuous and significant investment, use and effort.
The Applicant and its Director own numerous trade mark registrations in the term LANCASTER in many jurisdictions (including the United States, China, Latvia, Liechtenstein, South Africa, Switzerland, France and South Korea) in several classes of goods including class 18 (handbags, traveling bags, school bags, briefcases, purses, credit card cases, pocket wallets, luggage, luggage trunks, suitcases, harness for animals, umbrellas), class 25 ( trousers, t-shirts, scarves, shirts, footwear, hats, skirts, ties, socks, coats and belts), class 9 ( sunglasses) and class 14 (watches, jewellery).
Reflecting its global reach, the Applicant owns numerous domain names consisting of or comprising the term LANCASTER in many available TLDs (including .COM, .PRO, .INFO, .FR, .TW, .EU and .US).
The LANCASTER brand, trade marks and domain names are invaluable assets and serve to identify the LANCASTER business as a trusted source of the highest quality goods. |