.ag
 | |
| 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 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 |
| Website | Nic.ag |
| DNSSEC | yes |
.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.
Alternative meanings for ag not connected to internet domain registration
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.
In addition to its original intended use as a country code, and the secondary meaning as a type of company in German-speaking countries, 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).
Legal status of .ag in Germany
A German court (5. Zivilsenat des Oberlandesgerichtes Hamburg) ruled in July 2004 in second instance that a .ag domain may only be registered by an Aktiengesellschaft and more precisely by an AG that has the same name as the domain. That means that a company with shareholders in Germany with the name X AG, may not register y.ag.[1][2]
References
- ↑ (in German) http://www.heise.de/newsticker/meldung/49249
- ↑ (in German) http://www.internet4jurists.at/domain/e_deutsch.htm