.berlin
| Status: | Proposed |
| country: | Germany, International |
| Type: | GeoTLD |
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.berlin is a proposed GeoTLD in ICANN's new gTLD program. The proposal was one of the first and most prominent gTLDs, specifically GeoTLDs, that began circulating as a possibility in the early-mid 2000s as a possibility should ICANN decide to expand the root zone with new gTLDs.
Historically, there are two main entities that have expressed public interest in running .berlin, DotBERLIN and Unite Berlin. Given that they were started in 2005, and 2009 respectively, it is unclear whether the organizations are still viable and intend to apply for the extension, which requires governmental approval. Both entities still have semi-updated websites.[1][2]
Background
With new gTLD discussion happening in ICANN, Dirk Krischenowski and Alexander Schubert founded DotBERLIN GmbH & Co. KG in 2005; at that time ICANN's new gTLD application process was expected to begin in 2009.[3] This process took longer to develop and was finally approved in June, 2011. Because of this delay, and the fact that dotBERLIN was prepared for a 2009 launch, they have asked for special consideration from ICANN in the delegation process. Specifically, DotBERLIN has asked that "One extra point in the Community Priority Evaluation should be given if the organization behind an applicantion was already established before the approval of the new gTLDs program by the ICANN Board on 26 June, 2008, or before the first communicated application window in March, 2009."[4] That concession was not made by ICANN.
The reason dotBERLIN asked for such special consideration could be due to the fact that specific threats to their proposal have appeared. That is, Minds + Machines launched a Unite Berlin initiative, which is itself lobbying for the .berlin name space, some 6 years after dotBERLIN had already declared its intentions.[5]