Country code top-level domain for Antigua and Barbuda
.ag |
| Introduced | 3 September 1991 |
|---|
| TLD type | Country code top-level domain |
|---|
| Status | Active |
|---|
| Registry | NicAg |
|---|
| Sponsor | None |
|---|
| Intended use | Entities connected with  Antigua and Barbuda |
|---|
| Actual use | Sees some use, most of which is unrelated to Antigua and Barbuda; 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 or .co.ag (intended for commercial entities)
- .org.ag (intended for organisations, especially nonprofits)
- .net.ag (intended for network operators/providers)
- .nom.ag (intended for individuals)
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"
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]
Use in Greenland
Sermitsiaq uses the TLD.
