dotBERLIN GmbH & Co. KG * was founded in July 2005. The company goal is the introduction of the top-level domain .berlin which is expected to be available from 2008. As the initiator of the top-level domain .berlin we create the basis so that companies, private individuals and organisations can register their own domains with the ending .berlin. The basis of the company is provided by limited partners who represent the Berlin community from the areas of politics, administration, economy, science, welfare, culture, sport and all citizens. In particular, this includes associations (e.g. chambers and guilds), charitable foundations, companies and other organisations as well as individual citizens. dotBERLIN GmbH & Co. KG, which has a broad base in the Berlin community, will be the future operating company responsible for the top-level domain .berlin. An advisory board, comprising representatives from places called Berlin, scientific associations, the scientific and the Internet communities, will advise dotBERLIN on important decisions, particularly on questions of registration guidelines.

dotBERLIN's vision

.berlin is the independent top-level domain of the community of Berliners in the Internet. The local addresses available with this are concise and create an identity for citizens, companies and institutions. Those providing and looking for information, goods and services can thus intuitively come together. The .berlin domains strengthen the feeling of community amongst Berliners, improve communication and make interaction easier, thus providing a stimulus for innovation and development. Both for Berliners and for non-Berliners, places called Berlin become more attractive as a place to visit, as a commercial location and as a place to live.

dotBERLIN's mission

dotBERLIN’s mission is to support the many and varied interests of Berliners and their community with the top-level domain .berlin and to give Berliners, their locations, their companies and organisations a Berlin identity in the Internet.

Memberships

dotBERLIN is a member in the relevant associations for the Internet and telecommunications industries as well as in Berlin associations.

• eco - Verband der deutschen Internetwirtschaft e.V. (the association for the German Internet economy), www.eco.de
• BITKOM - Bundesverband Informationswirtschaft, Telekommunikation und neue Medien e.V. (the German association for information technology, telecommunications and new media), www.bitkom.org
• ISOC - Internet Society, German Chapter e.V., www.isoc.de
• medianet Berlin-Brandenburg e.V., www.medianet-bb.de
• Initiative Hauptstadt e.V. (the capital city initiative), www.initiative-hauptstadt.de
• Berliner Wirtschaftsgespräche e.V. (Berlin economic discussions), www.bvg-ev.net
• IHK zu Berlin (Berlin chamber of trade and commerce), www.ihk-berlin.de
• Association of Berliner trades and industry, www.vbki.de
• Voluntary self control of the multimedia services providers, www.fsm.de
• Marketing Club Berlin, www.marketingclubberlin.de

* GmbH & Co. KG - Limited Liability Limited Partnership

A Kommanditgesellschaft (KG) is the German name for the legal form of a limited partnership and is used in German, Austrian and some other European legal systems. Around 10% of the top 500 German companies are incorporated using this legal form. Among them are well known brands like IKEA, Walmart, Otto, Lidl, Michelin, Haribo and Gruner+Jahr.

The GmbH & Co. KG is a limited partnership with, typically, the sole general partner being a limited liability company (GmbH, liable with Euro 25,000) and limited partners (KG) whose liability is restricted to their fixed contributions to the partnership. At dotBERLIN all limited partners are liable for Euro 100. The sole general partner (GmbH) is elected by the limited partners (KG), of which each has one voice. This legal form can thus combine the advantages of a partnership with those of the limited liability of a corporation.

The GmbH & Co. KG is similar to the legal form of a L.L.L.P. (Limited Liability Limited Partnership) which is common in many US states.

Resources:

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kommanditgesellschaft
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Limited_liability_limited_partnership