 | |
| Introduced | 1991 |
|---|---|
| TLD type | Country code top-level domain |
| Status | Active |
| Registry | NicAg |
| Sponsor | None |
| Intended use | Entities connected with  Antigua and Barbuda |
| Actual use | Used largely by companies in German-speaking countries where AG has a special meaning in company names, though its use in Germany is restricted by court order |
| Registration restrictions | None |
| Structure | Names can be registered directly at the second level; third-level registrations are also available under some second-level labels |
| Documents | Registration terms and conditions |
| Dispute policies | UDRP |
| DNSSEC | yes |
| Registry website | Nic.ag |
.ag is the Internet country code top-level domain (ccTLD) for Antigua and Barbuda.
Second and third level registrations
Registrations can be made at the second level directly beneath .ag, or at the third level beneath .com.ag, .org.ag, .net.ag or .co.ag. There are no restrictions on who can register.
Domain hacks
In addition to its original intended use as a country code, the .ag domain has been marketed for use for agriculture-related sites, and for sites referencing the atomic symbol for silver, Ag. It also has a potential use for other domain hacks for English words that end in -ag. The Heritage Foundation uses .ag for URL shortening (herit.ag).
".ag" used to mean "Aktiengesellschaft"
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Aktiengesellschaft, abbreviated AG, is a German term that refers to a corporation that is limited by shares, i.e. owned by shareholders, and may be traded on a stock market. The term is used in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, but not Liechtenstein or Luxembourg.
Legal status of .ag in Germany
A German court (5. Zivilsenat des Oberlandesgerichtes Hamburg) ruled in July 2004 that a .ag domain may only be registered by an Aktiengesellschaft, and then only by an AG that has the same name as the domain. For example, a company with shareholders in Germany having the name X AG may not register as y.ag.[1][2]
References
- ^ (in German) http://www.heise.de/newsticker/meldung/49249
- ^ (in German) http://www.internet4jurists.at/domain/e_deutsch.htm
See also
- Internet in Antigua and Barbuda
External links
- List of .AG Registrars Archived 2013-07-08 at the Wayback Machine
- IANA .ag whois information