Single Webpage for ICANN RDS/WHOIS-Related Policies and Contract Provisions

Originally posted: 15 April 2013
Last updated: 30 October 2019

This webpage contains a listing of the ICANN agreement provisions, policies, advisories and Bylaws obligations related to gTLD Registration Data Directory Services (RDDS) – WHOIS and Registration Data Access Protocol (RDAP).¹ For additional RDDS-related information, please also see lookup.icann.org and icann.org/rdap.

1. ICANN Bylaws (as amended 18 July 2018)
2. GNSO Consensus Policies
3. Revised ICANN Procedure for Handling WHOIS Conflicts with Privacy Law (effective 18 April 2017)
4. 2013 Registrar Accreditation Agreement
5. Registry Agreements
   1. Base Registry Agreement
   2. Legacy TLDs not migrated to the Base Registry Agreements RDDS provisions
      1. aero TLD Sponsorship Agreement
      2. .com Registry Agreement
      3. .name Unsponsored Registry Agreement
      4. .net Registry Agreement
      5. .post Sponsored TLD Registry Agreement
      6. .xxx Registry Agreement
6. Contracted Party Advisories
7. Legal Notices Requiring RDAP Service Implementation

1. ICANN Bylaws (as amended 18 July 2018)

   Article 4, Section 4.6 – Specific Reviews

2. GNSO Consensus Policies

   ICANN's agreements with accredited registrars and gTLD registry operators require compliance with various specifically stated procedures and also with "consensus policies." Some of these consensus policies relate to WHOIS issues. See http://www.icann.org/en/resources/registrars/consensus-policies for the authoritative list of consensus policies. At the time of publication of this webpage, the following GNSO Consensus Policies related to WHOIS are in force:

   Interim Registration Data Policy for gTLDs (20 May 2019)

   Additional WHOIS Information Policy (31 January 2016)

   Thick WHOIS Transition Policy for .COM, .NET and .JOBS (7 February 2014)

   Registry Registration Data Directory Services Consistent Labeling and Display Policy (9 January 2014)

   WHOIS Marketing Restriction Policy (12 November 2004)

   Restored Names Accuracy Policy (12 November 2004)

   WHOIS Data Reminder Policy (27 March 2003)

3. Revised ICANN Procedure for Handling WHOIS Conflicts with Privacy Law (effective 18 April 2017)

4. 2013 Registrar Accreditation Agreement

   Definitions: Section 1.21 – Registry Database

   Registrar Obligations:

   Section 3.3 – Public Access to Data on Registered Names
   Section 3.5 – Rights in Data
   Sections 3.7.5.7 and 3.7.8 – Business Dealings, Including with Registered Name Holders
   Section 3.12.2 – Obligations Related to Provision of Registrar Services by Third Parties

   Term, Termination and Dispute Resolution: Section 5.5.2.1.3 – Termination of Agreement by ICANN

   Miscellaneous Provisions: Section 7.4.5.2 – Negotiation Process

   WHOIS Accuracy Program Specification

   Registration Data Directory Service (WHOIS) Specification

   Specification on Privacy and Proxy Registrations

   Data Retention Specification

   Registrar Information Specification: Section 14

   Registrants' Benefits and Responsibilities: Domain Name Registrants' Responsibilities

   Transition Addendum to Registrar Accreditation Agreement

5. Registry Agreements

   1. Base Registry Agreement (as updated 31 July 2017)

      Section 2.5 – Publication of Registration Data

      Section 2.13 – Emergency Transition

      Section 4.5 – Transition of Registry upon Termination of Agreement

      Section 7.13 – Severability; Conflict with Laws

      Specification 3 – Format and Content For Registry Operator Monthly Reporting: Section 2 – Registry Functions Activity Report

      Specification 4 – Registration Data Publication Services:

      Section 1 – Registration Data Directory Services

      Section 3 – Bulk Registration Data Access to ICANN

      Specification 5 – Schedule of Reserved Names

      Specification 6 – Registry Interoperability and Continuity Specifications: Section 1 – Standards Compliance

      Specification 10 – Registry Performance Specifications:

      Section 1 – Definitions

      Section 2 – Service Level Agreement Matrix

      Section 4 – RDDS

      Section 6 – Emergency Thresholds

   2. At the time of publication of this webpage, the following legacy TLDs have not migrated to the Base Registry Agreements RDDS provisions.

      1. .aero TLD Sponsorship Agreement (11 June 2009)

         Section 3.1(c)(v) – Covenants of Sponsor; Handling of Registry Data; WHOIS Service

         Appendix 4 – Registry Operator's Monthly Report: Section 5 – WHOIS Service Activity

         Appendix 5 – WHOIS Specifications

         Appendix 7 – Functional and Performance Specifications:

         Section A.4 – WHOIS Service Requirements
         Section B.2.7 – Definitions; "WHOIS Service"
         Section B.3.2 – Service Levels (Availability and Performance); WHOIS Service

      2. .com Registry Agreement (1 December 2012)

         Section 3.1(c)(v) – Covenants of Registry Operator; Handling of Registry Data; WHOIS Service

         Section 3.1(h) – Covenants of Registry Operator; Centralized WHOIS

         Appendix 1 – Data Escrow Specification:

         Exhibit A – Schedule for Escrow Deposits
         Exhibit B – Escrow Deposit Format Specification

         Appendix 4 – Registry Operator's Monthly Reports:

         Section A.5 – Monthly Report; WHOIS Service Activity
         Section C – Registry Functions Activity Report

         Appendix 5 – WHOIS Specifications

         Appendix 7 – Functional and Performance Specifications:

         Section 6 – Performance Specifications
         Section 7 – Responsibilities of the Parties

         Section 8.1 – Additional Services; Bulk Transfer After Partial Portfolio Acquisition (BTAPPA)
         Section 9 – Implementation of New Protocols

         Appendix 8 – Registry-Registrar Agreement: Section 2.9 – Obligations of the Parties; Domain Name Lookup Capability

         Appendix 10 – Service Level Agreement (SLA): Section 2 – SLA Credits

      3. .name Unsponsored Registry Agreement (1 December 2012)

         Section 3.1(c)(v) – Covenants of Registry Operator; Handling of Registry Data; WHOIS Service

         Appendix 4 – Registry Operator's Monthly Reports:

         Section A.4 – Monthly Report; WHOIS Service Activity

         Section D – Registry Functions Activity Report

         Appendix 5 – WHOIS Specifications

         Appendix 7 – Functional Specifications:

         Section 9.1 – Additional Services; Bulk Transfer After Partial Portfolio Acquisition (BTAPPA)
         Section 10 – Implementation of New Standards

         Appendix 8 – Registry-Registrar Agreement: Section 2.9 – Obligations of the Parties; Domain Name Lookup Capability

         Appendix 10 – Registry Performance Specifications:

         Section 1.11 – Performance Specifications; "WHOIS Service"

         Section 2 – Service Level Agreement Matrix

         Section 3.2 – Service Levels (Availability and Performance); WHOIS Service

         Appendix 11 – Registration Restrictions: Section 3(b)(iii) – Defensive Registrations; Common Defensive Registration Eligibility Requirements

      4. .net Registry Agreement (1 July 2017)

         Section 3.1(c)(v) – Covenants of Registry Operator; Handling of Registry Data; WHOIS Service

         Appendix 1 – Data Escrow Specification:

         Exhibit A – Schedule for Escrow Deposits
         Exhibit B – Escrow Deposit Format Specification

         Appendix 4 –Monthly Operators Reports:

         Section A.5 – Monthly Report; WHOIS Service Activity

         Section C – Registry Functions Activity Report

         Appendix 5-5A – WHOIS Specifications

         Appendix 7 – Functional and Performance Specifications:

         Section 1.5 – Standards Compliance; IPv6

         Section 1.6 – Standards Compliance; IANA Rootzone Database

         Section 6 – Performance Specifications
         Section 7.3 – Responsibilities of the Parties

         Section 8.1 – Additional Services; Bulk Transfer After Partial Portfolio Acquisition (BTAPPA)

         Appendix 8 – Registry-Registrar Agreement: Section 2.9 – Obligations of the Parties; Domain Name Lookup Capability

         Appendix 10 – Service Level Agreement: Section 2 – SLA Credits

      5. .post Sponsored TLD Registry Agreement (11 December 2009)

         Section 3.1(c)(v) – Covenants of Sponsor; Handling of Registry Data; WHOIS Service

         Appendix 4 – Sponsor's Monthly Report: Section 5 – WHOIS Service Activity

         Appendix 5 – WHOIS Specifications

         Appendix 7 – Functional and Performance Specifications:

         Section 4 – WHOIS Service Requirements
         Section 7 – Performance Specifications

         Appendix S – : Part VI – Public WHOIS Specification

      6. .xxx Registry Agreement (31 March 2011)

         Section 3.1(c)(v) – Covenants of Registry Operator; Handling of Registry Data; WHOIS Service

         Appendix 5 – WHOIS Specifications

         Appendix 7 – Functional and Performance Specifications:

         Section 4 – WHOIS Service Requirements
         Section 7 – Performance Specifications

         Appendix S – WHOIS Specification:

         Part 6 – Public Whois Specification
         Attachment 1 –.xxx Product List

         Amendment 2:

         Section VI – Amendment to Appendix 4 – Registry Operator's Monthly Reports: Section 2 Registry Functions Activity Report

         Section VII – Amendment to Appendix 5 – WHOIS Specifications

         Section VIII – Amendment to Appendix S, Part 6 – WHOIS Specification

         Amendment 4: Section 1.d. – Appendix 9 – Public Interest Commitments – Section d. – Registry Operator's Right to Disqualify Registration

6. Contracted Party Advisories

   Clarifications to the Registry and Registrar Requirements for WHOIS (port 43) and Web-Based Directory Services (as updated 25 May 2018)

   Clarifications to the 2013 Registrar Accreditation Agreement (RAA) WHOIS Accuracy Specification (16 November 2015)

   Registrar Implementation of the 2013 RAA's WHOIS Requirements (31 July 2013)

   Registrar Advisory Concerning the "15-day Period" in WHOIS Accuracy Requirements (3 April 2003)

   Steps to Improve WHOIS Data Accuracy (3 September 2002)

   Registrar Advisory Concerning WHOIS Data Accuracy (10 May 2002)

7. Legal Notices Requiring RDAP Service Implementation

   Registrar legal notice re: RDAP service implementation (27 February 2019)

   Registry legal notice re: RDAP service implementation (27 February 2019)

¹ The listing contains the RDS/WHOIS-related agreement provisions and policies that address access to and accuracy of public registration data.