<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">For information:</font>
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<br><a href="http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/eighty-seven-major-national-and-international-business-associations-and-companies-join-with-ana-forming-the-coalition-for-responsible-internet-domain-oversight-crido-to-oppose-icanns-top-level-domain-expansion-program-133610748.html"><font size=2 face="sans-serif">http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/eighty-seven-major-national-and-international-business-associations-and-companies-join-with-ana-forming-the-coalition-for-responsible-internet-domain-oversight-crido-to-oppose-icanns-top-level-domain-expansion-program-133610748.html</font></a>
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<p><font size=1 face="Arial"><b>New York, NY — November 10, 2011 — </b>Eighty-seven
major national and international business associations and companies have
joined forces with the ANA (</font><a href=http://ana.informz.net/z/cjUucD9taT0xOTE2OTA4JnA9MSZ1PTEwMDk2OTkyMDYmbGk9ODk1ODQ2NQ/index.html><font size=1 color=#008250 face="Arial"><u>Association
of National Advertisers</u></font></a><font size=1 face="Arial">), forming
the Coalition for Responsible Internet Domain Oversight (</font><a href=http://ana.informz.net/z/cjUucD9taT0xOTE2OTA4JnA9MSZ1PTEwMDk2OTkyMDYmbGk9ODk1ODQ2Ng/index.html><font size=1 color=#008250 face="Arial"><u>CRIDO</u></font></a><font size=1 face="Arial">)
to oppose the rollout of ICANN’s top-level domain expansion program. Among
the many influential members of CRIDO are the Grocery Manufacturers Association,
the National Association of Manufacturers, the American Society of Association
Executives, the National Restaurant Association, the Intellectual Property
Owners Association, the American Council of Life Insurers, the U.S. Chamber
of Commerce, and the World Federation of Advertisers (WFA). The WFA represents
a global network of 51 advertiser associations representing some 90 percent
of global marketing communications spending, equivalent to $700 billion
annually.</font>
<p><font size=1 face="Arial">On behalf of its many constituencies and industries,
CRIDO is committed to aggressively fighting ICANN’s proposed program,
citing its deeply flawed justification, excessive cost and harm to brand
owners, likelihood of predatory cyber harm to consumers and failure to
act in the public interest, a core requirement of its commitment to the
U.S. Department of Commerce.</font>
<p><font size=1 face="Arial">The proposed ICANN program would permit applicants
to claim virtually any word, generic or branded, as an Internet top-level
domain. Top-Level Domains are everything to the right of the dot, such
as .com and .org. In the first year alone, the ICANN plan would allow hundreds
of new Top-Level Domains, and thousands in the future. This would strongly
pressure brand owners at every level of business including small businesses,
consumers, NGOs, charities and foundations to defensively buy and protect
new top-level domains.</font>
<p><font size=1 face="Arial">“This unprecedented, united opposition to
ICANN’s top-level domain expansion program clearly demonstrates the enormity
of the dissatisfaction across the Internet stakeholder community,” said
Bob Liodice, president and CEO of the ANA. “The major global industries
represented by CRIDO foresee immense damage to their constituents, consumers
and the economy. We implore ICANN to discontinue its efforts to roll out
this ill-conceived, unwanted and destructive program.”</font>
<p><font size=1 face="Arial">If the ICANN program proceeds, CRIDO firmly
believes, the loss of trust in Internet transactions will be substantial.
In addition, the for profit and non-profit brand community will suffer
from billions of dollars in unnecessary expenditures — money that could
be better invested in product improvements, capital expenditures and job
creation.</font>
<p><font size=1 face="Arial">“The World Federation of Advertisers and
its members strongly urge ICANN to abandon its top-level domain program
in its current form and proceed in a manner that suitably acknowledges
the legitimate interests of client-side marketers and brand owners across
the globe,” said Stephan Loerke, managing director, WFA. WFA’s members
represent advertising associations in all regions of the world, including
the Association of Canadian Advertisers, the Incorporated Society of British
Advertisers, the Russian Association of Advertisers, the Advertisers Association
of Turkey, the Indian Society of Advertisers, the Japan Advertisers Association,
and the China Association of National Advertisers.</font>
<p><font size=1 face="Arial">At the recent ANA Masters of Marketing Annual
Conference, attended by more than 1,700 marketers, Liodice announced that
the Association’s Board voted unanimously to fight ICANN’s top-level
domain expansion program. He also urged attendees to rally support from
additional trade associations in their industry sectors, creating a massive
groundswell of opposition to ICANN’s program before it causes irreparable
damage. At the meeting, several hundred attendees signed petitions personally
opposing ICANN’s proposal. The petitions will be circulated at upcoming
conferences and events to garner support from even more members.</font>
<p><font size=1 face="Arial">To date, the following 47 associations have
joined CRIDO and signed a petition that will be sent to the DOC that publicly
states their opposition to the proposed ICANN program:</font>
<p>
<br>
<table width=100%>
<tr valign=top>
<td width=41%>
<ul>
<li><font size=1 face="Arial">AAF-Amarillo </font>
<li><font size=1 face="Arial">AAF-Dallas </font>
<li><font size=1 face="Arial">AAF-Fort Worth </font>
<li><font size=1 face="Arial">AAF Hampton Roads </font>
<li><font size=1 face="Arial">AdClub Cincinnati </font>
<li><font size=1 face="Arial">American Advertising Federation (AAF) </font>
<li><font size=1 face="Arial">American Advertising Federation of Des Moines
</font>
<li><font size=1 face="Arial">American Apparel & Footwear Association
(AAFA) </font>
<li><font size=1 face="Arial">American Association of Advertising Agencies
(4As) </font>
<li><font size=1 face="Arial">American Beverage Association (ABA) </font>
<li><font size=1 face="Arial">American Council of Life Insurers (ACLI)
</font>
<li><font size=1 face="Arial">American Health Care Association (AHCA) </font>
<li><font size=1 face="Arial">American Insurance Association (AIA) </font>
<li><font size=1 face="Arial">American Intellectual Property Law Association
(AIPLA) </font>
<li><font size=1 face="Arial">American Society of Association Executives
(ASAE) </font>
<li><font size=1 face="Arial">Association of Canadian Advertisers (ACA)
</font>
<li><font size=1 face="Arial">Association of National Advertisers (ANA)
</font>
<li><font size=1 face="Arial">Austin Advertising Federation </font>
<li><font size=1 face="Arial">Boise Advertising Federation </font>
<li><font size=1 face="Arial">Cable Advertising Bureau (CAB) </font>
<li><font size=1 face="Arial">Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) </font>
<li><font size=1 face="Arial">Direct Marketing Association (DMA) </font>
<li><font size=1 face="Arial">European Association of Communications Agencies
(EACA) </font>
<li><font size=1 face="Arial">European Publishers Council (EPC) </font></ul>
<td width=0%>
<td width=57%>
<ul>
<li><font size=1 face="Arial">Food Marketing Institute (FMI) </font>
<li><font size=1 face="Arial">Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) </font>
<li><font size=1 face="Arial">Idaho Advertising Federation </font>
<li><font size=1 face="Arial">Idaho Falls Advertising Federation </font>
<li><font size=1 face="Arial">Intellectual Property Owners Association
(IPO) </font>
<li><font size=1 face="Arial">Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) </font>
<li><font size=1 face="Arial">IAB Europe </font>
<li><font size=1 face="Arial">Lewis-Clark Valley Advertising Federation
</font>
<li><font size=1 face="Arial">Magic Valley Advertising Federation </font>
<li><font size=1 face="Arial">Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) </font>
<li><font size=1 face="Arial">MPA - the Association of Magazine Media </font>
<li><font size=1 face="Arial">National Association of Broadcasters (NAB)
</font>
<li><font size=1 face="Arial">National Association of Manufacturers (NAM)
</font>
<li><font size=1 face="Arial">National Confectioners Association (NCA)
</font>
<li><font size=1 face="Arial">National Council of Chain Restaurants (NCCR)
</font>
<li><font size=1 face="Arial">National Restaurant Association (NRA) </font>
<li><font size=1 face="Arial">Pocatello Advertising Federation </font>
<li><font size=1 face="Arial">Promotion Marketing Association (PMA) </font>
<li><font size=1 face="Arial">Radio Advertising Bureau (RAB) </font>
<li><font size=1 face="Arial">Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA)
</font>
<li><font size=1 face="Arial">Television Bureau of Advertising (TVB) </font>
<li><font size=1 face="Arial">U.S. Chamber of Commerce </font>
<li><font size=1 face="Arial">World Federation of Advertisers (WFA) <i>which
includes 50 independent federations throughout the world</i></font></ul></table>
<p><font size=1 face="Arial">To date, the following 40 companies have joined
CRIDO and signed a petition that will be sent to the DOC that publicly
states their opposition to the proposed ICANN program:</font>
<p>
<br>
<table width=100%>
<tr valign=top>
<td width=46%>
<ul>
<li><font size=1 face="Arial">Acxiom </font>
<li><font size=1 face="Arial">Adobe Systems Incorporated </font>
<li><font size=1 face="Arial">Allstate Insurance Company </font>
<li><font size=1 face="Arial">American Express </font>
<li><font size=1 face="Arial">Brinker International </font>
<li><font size=1 face="Arial">Burger King Corporation </font>
<li><font size=1 face="Arial">The Coca-Cola Company </font>
<li><font size=1 face="Arial">Combe Incorporated </font>
<li><font size=1 face="Arial">ConAgra Foods </font>
<li><font size=1 face="Arial">Costco Wholesale Corporation </font>
<li><font size=1 face="Arial">Darden Restaurants, Inc. </font>
<li><font size=1 face="Arial">Dell Inc. </font>
<li><font size=1 face="Arial">Dunkin Brands, Inc. </font>
<li><font size=1 face="Arial">Educational Testing Service (ETS) </font>
<li><font size=1 face="Arial">Fidelity Investments </font>
<li><font size=1 face="Arial">Ford Motor Company </font>
<li><font size=1 face="Arial">General Electric Company </font>
<li><font size=1 face="Arial">Hack Creative </font>
<li><font size=1 face="Arial">Hewlett-Packard Company </font>
<li><font size=1 face="Arial">Hunter Douglas NA </font></ul>
<td width=0%>
<td width=52%>
<ul>
<li><font size=1 face="Arial">J.C. Penney Company, Inc. </font>
<li><font size=1 face="Arial">Johnson & Johnson </font>
<li><font size=1 face="Arial">Kellogg Company </font>
<li><font size=1 face="Arial">La Quinta </font>
<li><font size=1 face="Arial">Liberty Mutual </font>
<li><font size=1 face="Arial">MillerCoors </font>
<li><font size=1 face="Arial">Money Mailer of Amarillo </font>
<li><font size=1 face="Arial">Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company </font>
<li><font size=1 face="Arial">Neon Sun Tanning Salon </font>
<li><font size=1 face="Arial">Nestlé USA </font>
<li><font size=1 face="Arial">ORCI </font>
<li><font size=1 face="Arial">OSI Restaurant Partners, LLC </font>
<li><font size=1 face="Arial">Papa John's </font>
<li><font size=1 face="Arial">Procter & Gamble </font>
<li><font size=1 face="Arial">Publicis Groupe </font>
<li><font size=1 face="Arial">Pulte Group </font>
<li><font size=1 face="Arial">Samsung </font>
<li><font size=1 face="Arial">US Bank </font>
<li><font size=1 face="Arial">Vanguard </font>
<li><font size=1 face="Arial">Verge </font></ul></table>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br><font size=2 color=red face="Arial"><b>Martin C SUTTON</b> </font>
<br><font size=2 color=red face="Arial">Group Risk </font>
<br><font size=1 face="Arial">Manager, Group Fraud Risk and Intelligence
| HSBC HOLDINGS PLC HGHQ<br>
Group Security & Fraud Risk<br>
8 Canada Square,Canary Wharf,London,E14 5HQ,United Kingdom</font>
<br><font size=1 color=red face="Arial">________________________________________________________________<br>
</font>
<br><font size=1 color=#4f4f4f face="Arial">Phone. +44 (0)20
7991 8074 / 7991 8074</font>
<br><font size=1 color=#4f4f4f face="Arial">Mobile. +44 (0)
7774556680</font>
<br><font size=1 color=#4f4f4f face="Arial">Email.
</font><a href=mailto:martinsutton@hsbc.com><font size=1 color=red face="Arial"><u>martinsutton@hsbc.com</u></font></a>
<br><font size=1 color=red face="Arial">________________________________________________________________<br>
<br>
************************************************************<br>
HSBC Holdings plc<br>
Registered Office: 8 Canada Square, London E14 5HQ, United Kingdom<br>
Registered in England number 617987<br>
************************************************************<br>
<br>
<br>
************************************************************<br>
HSBC Holdings plc<br>
Registered Office: 8 Canada Square, London E14 5HQ, United Kingdom<br>
Registered in England number 617987<br>
************************************************************<br>
</font>
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