Site Map  |  Site Index  |  Quick Links 

Select a link below: About ICANN Accountability and Transparency Address Supporting Organization (ASO) Affirmation of Commitments Affirmation of Commitments-Reviews Announcements Annual Report Articles of Incorporation At-Large Advisory Committee (ALAC) Blog Board Meeting Minutes and Resolutions Board of Directors Budget (see Financial Information) Bylaws Calendar of Events Careers Certificate Authority Code of Conduct Committees - Other Committees - Advisory Committees - Board Committees - Past Contact Information Continuity Contracts Contractual Compliance Newsletter Contractual Compliance Program Corporate Documents Correspondence Country Code TLD Managers - Information for Country-Code Names Supporting Organization (ccNSO) Country-Code Top-Level Domain Agreements Country-Code Top-Level Domain Board Materials Country-Code Top-Level Domain Listings DNSSEC Dashboard Dispute Resolution Options Documentary Information Disclosure Policy Documents Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policies E-Learning EPP Status Codes Expedited Registry Security Request Process Factsheets Fellowship Program Financial Information First-Time Visitors Former Directors Frequently Asked Questions GNSO Improvements General Documents Generic Names Supporting Organization (GNSO) Generic Top-Level Domain (gTLD) Program Generic Top-Level Domain (gTLDs) Life Cycle Generic Top-Level Domain Information (gTLDs) Global Partnerships Glossary Governance Documents Governmental Advisory Committee IANA Agreement IANA ccTLD Reports IANA ICANN Info ICANN Organizational Reviews IDN Glossary IDN ccTLD Fast Track Process IPv6 Policy In Focus Independent Review Proceeding Documents InterNIC Internal Procedure for Conflicts with Privacy Law Internationalized Domain Names Links Litigation Documents Major Agreements Meetings for the Next Decade Consultation Meetings Mission Monthly Registry Reports News Newsletters & News Alerts Newsletters Archive Nominating Committee Ombudsman Operating Plan (see Strategic and Operating Plan) Organizational Chart PGP Keys Participate in ICANN Partnership Memorandums of Understanding Payments to ICANN Photos Planning Process Policy Area Policy Issue Briefs Policy Update Presentations President and CEO President's Strategy Committee Press Resources Public Comment Publications RSS Feeds Reconsideration Requests Reconsideration and Independent Review Registrants Information Registrar Accreditation Agreement Amendments Registrar Accreditation Overview Registrar Advisories Registrar Agreements Registrar Complaints Registrar Data Escrow Program Registrar Information Registrar Problem - Get Help Registrars - Accredited Registry Agreements Registry Information Registry Listings Registry Monthly Reports Registry Services Evaluation Process Report Inaccurate Whois Information Requests for Proposals Resources Root Server System Advisory Committee (RSSAC) Security Team Security and Stability Advisory Committee (SSAC) Speeches Sponsored Top-Level Domains Staff Strategic and Operating Plan Supporting Organizations Transfers Travel Support Universal Acceptance of All Top-Level Domains Video Vint Cerf's Legacy Letter to ICANN Community Website Enhancement Whois Information Whois Search Wiki - Resolutions Project

        Search 

• Structure
•  

The .com/.net/.org Whois Committee was convened by the ICANN staff to give advice on implementation of Whois service for the .com/.net/.org domains as required under the Registrar Accreditation Agreement. The Committee addressed implementation questions posed in a 1 December 2000 letter to the Committee from the ICANN staff. In March 2001, the Committee provided a response with two recommendations:

• .com/.net/.org registrars should provide Whois replies in a standard format.
• A standard Whois format should be phased in as expeditiously as possible that does not rely on TCP port 43, such as the XML-based format, which is described in detail in the Internet draft 'Whois Export and Exchange Format' of January 26, 2001. This standard should be developed in coordination with the IETF.

The committee's work was concluded in April 2001. The ICANN staff is currently studying how these recommendations might be implemented in the context of the registrars' accreditation agreements and expects then to consult with registrars and the IETF.

.com/.net/.org Whois Committee Members

Registrars:

CORE
Domain Bank
Melbourne IT
NSI Registrar

Registry:

VeriSign Global Registry Services

Intellectual Property Interests:

Motion Picture Association of America
Recording Industry Association of America
Verizon

Documents

Committee Documents

• Letter from Louis Touton to the Committee Requesting Advice on Implementation (1 December 2000)
• Recommendations of the Committee on Questions 1 and 2 (6 March 2001)

Related Developments

• Amicus curiae brief submitted by ICANN in Register.com, Inc. v. Verio Inc. (22 September 2000)
• Advisory Concerning Register.com v. Verio Litigation (22 September 2000)
• Order Granting Injunction in Register.com, Inc. v. Verio, Inc. (8 December 2000)
• Verio's Petition for Termination of Register.com's Registrar Accreditation Agreement (21 December 2000)
• Second Advisory Concerning Register.com v. Verio Litigation (26 December 2000)
• Register.com's Response to Verio's Petition for Termination of Register.com's Registrar Accreditation Agreement (26 January 2001)
• Investigation Report by VeriSign Global Registry Services Concerning Verio, Inc.'s Use of Zone File Access (30 January 2001)
• Third Advisory Concerning Register.com v. Verio Litigation (2 February 2001)
• Invitation to Verio to Submit Response in Connection With Petition for Termination of Register.com's Registrar Accreditation Agreement (17 February 2001)
• Verio's Response to Register.com Submission Concerning Petition for Termination (7 March 2001)

DNSO Whois (Policy-Development) Committee

The .com/.net/.org Whois Committee's charter was to develop recommendations for the ICANN staff on implmentation considerations under the contractual provisions already in place between ICANN and .com/.net/.org registrars. The Domain Name Supporting Organization (DNSO), which is primarily responsible for working toward consensus-based recommentations on domain-name-system policy, has formed a Whois committee, which is chaired by Paul Kane. Proposals for changes in Whois policy and similar comments should be directed to the Domain Name Support Organization.