| gTLD | Full Legal Name | E-mail suffix | Detail | | .LLC | Dot Registry LLC | hotmail.com | View |
DOT Registry plans to serve the Community of Registered Limited Liability Companies. Members of the community are defined as businesses registered as limited liability companies with the United States or its territories. Limited Liability Companies or (LLC’s) as they are commonly abbreviated, represent one of the most popular business entity structures in the US. LLCʹs commonly participate in acts of commerce, public services, and product creation.
Limited Liability Companies (LLC) are a relatively new business structure for the United States, the first LLC was validated in the state of Wyoming in 1977 and in 1996 the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws adopted the Uniform Limited Liability Company Act; providing for both the definition of an LLC and the governmental standards under which an LLC may be formed. It was through the Uniform Limited Liability Company Act that a standard set of policies were created to define, validate, and monitor the operations of LLC’s, thus creating a unique and accountable business community in the United States.
An LLC is defined as a flexible form of enterprise that blends elements of partnership and corporate structures. It is a legal form of company that provides limited liability to its owners in the vast majority of United States jurisdictions. LLC’s are a unique entity type because they are considered a hybrid, having certain characteristics of both a corporation and a partnership or sole proprietorship. LLC’s are closely related to corporations in the sense that they participate in similar activities and provide limited liability to their partners. Additionally, LLC’s share a key characteristic with partnerships through the availability of pass-through income taxation. LLC’s are a more flexibile entity type than a corporation and are often well suited for businesses owned by a single owner.
Common advantages to forming an LLC include:
1) Flexibility in tax reporting, LLC’s may choose if they would like to be taxed as a sole proprietorship, partnership, S Corporation, or C Corporation. This is the only business entity form in the United States that allows for taxation flexibility.
2) LLC’s have much less administrative paperwork and reporting requirements then corporations.
3) Unless the LLC elects to be taxed as a C Corp, LLC’s enjoy pass through taxation.
4) Limited liability, meaning that owners of an LLC, called “members” are protected from some or all liability acts and debts of the LLC.
LLC’s have become increasingly popular in the United States because their formation provides owners with the protection of a corporation and the flexibility of a partnership.
With the number of registered LLC’s in the United States totaling over five million in 2010 (as reported by the International Association of Commercial Administrators) it is hard for the average consumer to not conduct business with an LLC (popular LLC’s in the United States include: AOL and BMW). Through the creation of DOT Registry’s .LLC string, consumers can quickly validate that they are working with a member of the Community of Registered Limited Liability Companies, providing consumers with brand reassurance and peace of mind. DOT Registry believes that it is essential to identify limited liability companies online in order to expand on their creditability and further highlight their privilege to conduct business in the US. Proper representation of this community would allow consumers to make educated choices in choosing businesses to patronize and support.
LLCʹs can be formed through any jurisdiction of the United States. Therefore members of this community exist in all 50 US states and its territories. LLC formation guidelines are dictated by state law and can vary based on each state’s regulations. Persons form an LLC by filing required documents with the appropriate state authority, usually the Secretary of State. Most states require the filing of Articles of Organization. These are considered public documents and are similar to articles of incorporation, which establish a corporation as a legal entity. At minimum, the articles of organization give a brief description of the intended business purposes, the registered agent, and registered business address.
LLC’s are expected to conduct business in conjunction with the policies of the state in which they are formed, and the Secretary of State periodically evaluates a LLC’s level of good standing based on their commercial interactions with both the state and consumers. DOT Registry or its designated agents would verify membership to the Community of Registered Limited Liability Companies by collecting data on each Registrant and cross-referencing the information with their applicable registration state. In order to maintain the reputation of the “.LLC” string and accurately delineate the member to consumers, Registrants would only be awarded a domain that accurately represents their registered legal business name. Additionally, DOT Registry will not allow blind registrations or registration by proxy, therefore DOT Registry’s WHOIS service will tie directly back to each member’s state registration information and will be publicly available in order to provide complete transparency for consumers.
Entities are required to comply with formation practices in order to receive the right to conduct business in the US. Once formed an LLC must be properly maintained. LLC’s are expected to comply with state regulations, submit annual filings, and pay specific taxes and fees. Should an LLC fail to comply with state statutes it could result in involuntary dissolution by the state in addition to imposed penalties, taxes and fees.
While state statutes vary, the majority of states have adopted the following guidelines in regards to the formation of LLC’s:
(1) The name of each limited liability company must contain the words ʺLimited Liability Companyʺ or the abbreviation ʺL.L.C.ʺ or the designation ʺLLCʺ.
(2) In order to form a limited liability company, one or more authorized persons must execute the Articles of Organization. Which shall contain: the name of the limited liability company; the address of the registered office and the name and address of the registered agent for service of process required to be maintained; and any other matters the members determine to include therein.
(3) A Limited Liability Company may be organized to conduct or promote any lawful business or purposes, except as may otherwise be provided by the Constitution or other law of this State.
All entities bearing the abbreviation LLC in their business name create the assumption that they have been awarded the privileges associated to that title such as: the ability to conduct commerce transactions within US borders or territories, the ability to market products, solicit consumers and provide reputable services in exchange for monetary values, and finally to provide jobs or employment incentives to other citizens.
Membership in the Community of Registered Limited Liability Companies is established through your business entity registration. In order to maintain your membership to this community you must remain an “Active” member of the community. Active” in this context can be defined as any LLC registered with a Secretary of State in the United States and its territories, that is determined to be authorized to conduct business within that State at the time of their registration. Registrant’s “Active” status will be verified on an annual basis as described above in question 18 in order to ensure the reputation and validity of the “.LLC” gTLD.
Since LLC’s are not currently delineated on the Internet, the creation of this string would mark a unique advancement in consumer security and confidence in the United States. Essentially, this will create the first ever, clear delineator for the Community of Registered Limited Liability Companies.
| gTLD | Full Legal Name | E-mail suffix | Detail | | .osaka | Interlink Co., Ltd. | urbanbrain.com | View |
Interlink Co., Ltd., is submitting its application for the “.osaka” top-level domain as a Community TLD application for the Osaka Community as required by the Osaka Prefectural Government. Interlink received an endorsement letter from the Osaka Prefectural Government on February 21, 2012 based on the successful evaluation of its comprehensive proposal to create a namespace dedicated to serve the Osaka community. In its proposal, Interlink made a strong case for the selection of a registry operator capable of running a TLD with the highest technical standards. In addition, Interlink conveyed the importance of selecting a registry operator that is able to act as a steward on behalf of the Osaka community.
The “.osaka” TLD will be established to serve the needs of the Osaka Community, hereafter referred to as the “community”. The following is a description of the community in which Interlink intends to serve.
Description and Formation of the Osaka Community
The Osaka community has been in existence for thousands of years, and is known as Japan’s oldest capital. Osaka has been an economic and cultural center of the Japan for over a long span of time, though formally, the geographic area that defines the community, Osaka Prefecture, was formally established in 1868. Osaka’s culture is grounded in its long history of being a center for traditional performing arts known as the ʺkamigata culture”. The community enjoys festivals and other customs that have been passed on from generation to generation.
The community is best defined by its geographic boundaries. The Osaka Prefecture is currently the 3rd most populous area in Japan with a community of over 8.8 million people. Most community members speak the Osaka dialect of Japanese called known as “Osaka-ben” and have a distinct language style compared to other parts of Japan. Additional details regarding the history and culture of Osaka can be found that the following URL: http:⁄⁄www.pref.osaka.jp⁄en⁄introduction⁄index.html
Community Structure
As described above, the Osaka Community is largely defined by its prefectural borders and has a total population in excess of 8.8 million living in approximately 50 cities, towns, and villages. The capital city, Osaka city, and is a major city in the Kansai region and the largest city in the Osaka prefecture. The Osaka Prefectural government is the authoritative entity that has issued support to implement the “.osaka” name for the benefit of the entire Osaka community.
Currently, there is a movement to drastically reform geographic borders with in Osaka. The Mayor of Osaka City (the former Governor of the Osaka Prefecture) and the current Governor of the Osaka Prefecture are leading a political party known as the Osaka Restoration Association (In Japanese: 大阪維新の会), which is behind the movement known as the “Osaka Metropolitan Movement.” This movement is aimed combining 24 districts in Osaka city, 7 districts in Sakai city and 9 other cities to form a new Osaka Metropolis. The new metropolis will then be divided into 20 new districts. The unification of Osaka City and Osaka Prefecture will bring administrative efficiency to local government institutions thereby facilitating the provision of higher quality services to the Osaka community. Interlink believes that the “.osaka” TLD will be prove to be a vital tool for the community during the restructuring and re-branding of Osaka to help create a more unified community. Additional details about the Osaka Restoration Association can be found at the following URL: http:⁄⁄oneosaka.jp⁄
The establishment of the “.osaka” TLD will allow members of the community to effectively express themselves in their own online space.
Delineation of the Osaka Community
Members of the community are defined as those who are within the Osaka geographical area as well as those who self identify as having a tie to Osaka, or the culture of Osaka.
Major participants of the community include, but are not limited to the following:
• Legal entities
• Citizens
• Governments and public sectors
• Entities, including natural persons who have a legitimate purpose in addressing the community.
Structure and Constituency Parts
Interlink proposes the implementation of advisory committee to oversee registry operations in the “.osaka” TLD. The advisory will be called the Osaka Domain Advisory Committee and will be part of a transparent structure in the management of “.osaka”. The role of the committee will be to ensure that policies and regulations meet the needs of the community, and established policies are enforced. Currently there are three constituent parts to the advisory committee; a Government Constituency, a Business Constituency, and a User⁄Non-Profit Constituency.
The Osaka Prefectural Government has provided an endorsement to Interlink for the provision of registry services under the “.osaka” TLD in order to the benefit of the Osaka community. Interlink is confident that its policies will be inclusive of the entire Osaka community and will be key in building a foundation to strengthen online communications within the community. As outlined in the attached endorsement letter, the government and Interlink will enter into a separate agreement pending the results of the new gTLD application evaluation period. Below is a brief description of the proposed constituency parts.
Government Constituency
The Government Constituency representative member(s) will be appointed by the Osaka government (pending final negotiations of Interlink’s contract with the government after the delegation of the TLD).
Business Constituency
The Business Constituency will be open to all businesses and associations that have a presence within the Osaka community.
User⁄Non-Profit Constituency
The User and Non-Profit Constituency will be open to any individuals, non-profit organizations and educational institutions that have a presence within the Osaka community
Interlink has began laying the foundation for the implementation of “.osaka” in a manner that fully supports and benefits the entire Osaka community. In its preparations for applying and managing the “.osaka” TLD, Interlink has taken the following steps:
• submitted a proposal to the Osaka Prefectural Government, which was well received, and given subsequent approval;
• developed policies and a comprehensive plan that benefits the community;
• set up a physical presence in Osaka (which can be seen on Interlinkʹs business registration certificate);
• presented its plan to key members of the Osaka community to gain additional support.
Interlink’s plan for “.osaka” was very well received by community members as evidenced by the additional support and endorsements provided by the following entities:
New Business Conference Kansai（社団法人関西ニュービジネス協議会）- Established in 1987 with the support of Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, Osaka Prefectural Government, City of Osaka, Osaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and others. Currently consists of 200 local companies and organizations from various industries. Relevant URL: http:⁄⁄www.nb-net.or.jp⁄
Manufacturing Technology Association (社団法人生産技術振興協会) - Established in 1949 in collaboration with Osaka University and Local Industrial Companies to promote the development of Industrial Technology through the research of innovation in Science and Technology. Relevant URL: http:⁄⁄www6.ocn.ne.jp⁄~seisan⁄
Association of Encouraging Osaka（特定非営利活動法人大阪を元気にする会）- A non-profit organization established in November 2011 by Yusuke Saraya (Chairman of the Business Leaders group in the Osaka Restoration Association.) URL: http:⁄⁄www.sankeibiz.jp⁄macro⁄news⁄120318⁄mca1203180701000-n1.htm
Machizukuri-net Kumatori (NPO法人まちづくりネット熊取) - A non-profit organization based in Osaka whose mission is help move Osaka towards being a biotope city. URL: http:⁄⁄kumatori.osakazine.net⁄