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

Originally posted: 15 April 2013
Last updated: 10 July 2018

This web page contains a listing of the gTLD RDS/WHOIS-related ICANN agreement provisions, policies, and Bylaws obligations.¹

1. ICANN Bylaws Provisions Concerning RDS/WHOIS (as amended 22 July 2017)
2. GNSO Consensus Policies Concerning RDS/WHOIS
3. Procedures for Handling WHOIS Conflicts with Privacy Law
4. Registrar Agreement Provisions Concerning RDS/WHOIS
   1. June 2013 Registrar Accreditation Agreement
   2. May 2009 Registrar Accreditation Agreement
5. Registrar Advisories
6. Registry Agreement Provisions Concerning RDS/WHOIS
   1. .aero TLD Sponsorship Agreement
   2. .asia TLD Sponsorship Agreement
   3. .biz Registry Agreement
   4. .com Registry Agreement
   5. .coop Sponsored TLD Agreement
   6. .info Registry Agreement
   7. .museum TLD Sponsorship Agreement
   8. .name Registry Agreement
   9. .net Registry Agreement
   10. .org Registry Agreement
   11. .post Sponsored TDL Agreement
   12. .xxx Sponsored TLD Registry Agreement
   13. New gTLD Registry Agreement (Updated 31 July 2017)

1. ICANN Bylaws Provisions Concerning RDS/WHOIS (as amended 22 July 2017)

   Article 4, Section 4.6 – Specific Reviews

2. GNSO Consensus Policies Concerning RDS/WHOIS

   ICANN's agreements with accredited registrars and with gTLD registry operators require compliance with various specifically stated procedures and also with "consensus policies." (See http://www.icann.org/en/resources/registrars/consensus-policies). Sponsors and registry operators of sponsored TLDs may be required to comply with consensus policies in some instances. Some of these consensus policies relate to RDS/WHOIS issues. The following policies and procedures have been adopted to address RDS/WHOIS matters: Some of these are modified by the Temporary Specification for gTLD Registration Data (effective on 25 May 2018; adopted by ICANN Board 17 May 2018).

   WHOIS Data Reminder Policy

   WHOIS Marketing Restriction Policy

   Restored Names Accuracy Policy

   Additional WHOIS Information Policy

   Registry Registration Data Directory Service Consistent Labeling and Display Policy (CL&D Policy)

3. Procedures for Handling WHOIS Conflicts with Privacy Law

4. Registrar Agreement Provisions Concerning RDS/WHOIS

1. June 2013 Registrar Accreditation Agreement

   http://www.icann.org/en/resources/registrars/raa/approved-with-specs-27jun13-en.htm

   Definitions

   Section 1.21 – Definitions; Registry Database

   Registrar Obligations

   Sections 3.3.1, 3.3.4, and 3.3.8 – 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 Provided 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 on Proposed Revisions

   The titles below are from within the agreement found at: http://www.icann.org/en/resources/registrars/raa/approved-with-specs-27jun13-en.htm

   WHOIS Accuracy Program Specification

   Registration Data Directory Service (WHOIS) Specification

   Specification on Privacy and Proxy Registrations

   Data Retention Specification

   Registrants' Benefits and Responsibilities – Domain Name Registrants' Responsibilities

   Transition Addendum to Registrar Accreditation Agreement

2. May 2009 Registrar Accreditation Agreement

   http://www.icann.org/en/resources/registrars/raa/ra-agreement-21may09-en.htm

   Definitions

   Section 1.13 – Definitions; Registry Database

   Registrar Obligations

   Sections 3.3.1, 3.3.4 – Public Access to Data on Registered Names
   Section 3.5 – Rights in Data
   Section 3.7.5.7 – Business Dealings, Including with Registered Name Holders
   Section 3.12.2 – Obligations of Third-Party Resellers

5. Registrar Advisories

   http://www.icann.org/en/resources/registrars/advisories

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

   Clarifications to the New gTLD Registry Agreement, Specification 4; and the 2013 Registrar Accreditation Agreement, Registration Data Directory Service (WHOIS) Specification (12 September 2014)

   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)

   ICANN Announces Steps to Improve WHOIS Data Accuracy (3 September 2002)

   Registrar Advisory Concerning WHOIS Data Accuracy (10 May 2002)

6. Registry Agreement Provisions Concerning RDS/WHOIS

   1. .aero TLD Sponsorship Agreement

      http://www.icann.org/en/about/agreements/registries/aero

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

      Appendix 4 – Monthly Reporting

      Section 5—WHOIS is Service Activity

      Appendix 5 – Public WHOIS Specification

      Appendix 7 – Functional and Performance Specifications

      Section A.4 – WHOIS Service Requirements
      Section B.2.7 – Definition of "WHOIS Service"
      Section B.3.2 – WHOIS Service

   2. .asia TLD Sponsorship Agreement

      http://www.icann.org/en/about/agreements/registries/asia

      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 4 – WHOIS Service Requirements
      Section 7 – Performance Specifications

      Appendix S

      Part 6 – Public WHOIS

   3. .biz Registry Agreement

      http://www.icann.org/en/about/agreements/registries/biz

      Registry Agreement

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

      Section 3.6 – Emergency Transition

      Appendix 4 – Registry Operator's Monthly Report

      Section 2 – Registry Functions Activity Report

      Appendix 5 – WHOIS Specifications

      Appendix 6 – List of Reserved TLD Strings

      Appendix 7 – Functional and Performance Specifications

      Section 3.1.7 – Redemption Grace Period;
      Section 6 – IPv6
      Section 7.1 – Bulk Transfer After Partial Portfolio Acquisition

      Appendix 10 – Service Level Agreement

      Section 4 – RDDS
      Section 6 – Emergency Thresholds

   4. .com Registry Agreement

      http://www.icann.org/en/about/agreements/registries/com

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

      Section 3.1(h) – Centralized WHOIS

      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 9 – Implementation of new Protocols

      Appendix 8 – Registry-Registrar Agreement

      Section 2.9 – Domain Name Lookup Capability

      Appendix 10 – Service Level Agreement (SLA)

      Section 2 – SLA Credits

   5. .coop Sponsored TLD Agreement

      http://www.icann.org/en/about/agreements/registries/coop

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

      Appendix 4 – Registry Operator's Monthly Reports

      Appendix 5 – Registration Data Publication Services

      Appendix 7 – Registry Performance Specifications

      Appendix S

      Part V – Public WHOIS Specification is deleted per Amendment 2

   6. .info Registry Agreement

      http://www.icann.org/en/about/agreements/registries/info

      Registry Agreement

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

      Section 3.6 – Emergency Transition

      Appendix 4 – Registry Operator's Monthly Report

      Section 2 – Registry Functions Activity Report

      Appendix 5 – WHOIS Specifications

      Appendix 6 – List of Reserved TLD Strings

      Appendix 7 – Functional and Performance Specifications

      Section 6 – IPv6

      Appendix 10 – Service Level Agreement

      Section 4 – RDDS
      Section 6 – Emergency Thresholds

   7. .museum TLD Sponsorship Agreement

      http://www.icann.org/en/about/agreements/registries/museum

      Section 3.1(c)(v) – Covenants of Registry Operator; 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 4 – WHOIS Service Requirements
      Section 7 – Performance Specifications

      Appendix S, Part VI – Existing Sponsor Services

   8. .name Registry Agreement

      http://www.icann.org/en/about/agreements/registries/name

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

      Appendix 4 – Registry Operator's Monthly Reports

      Section 4 – WHOIS Service Activity

      Appendix 5 – WHOIS Specifications

      Appendix 7 – Functional and Performance Specifications

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

      Appendix 8 – Registry-Registrar Agreement

      Section 2.9 – Domain Name Lookup Capability

      Appendix 10 – Registry Performance Specifications

      Section 3.2 – WHOIS Service

      Appendix 11 – Registration Restrictions

      Section 3(b)(iii) – Defensive Registrations; Common Defensive Registration Eligibility Requirements

   9. .net Registry Agreement

      http://www.icann.org/en/about/agreements/registries/net

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

      Appendix 4 – Registry Operator's Monthly Reports

      Section 5 – WHOIS Service Activity

      Appendix 5 – WHOIS Specifications

      Appendix 7 – Functional and Performance Specifications

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

      Appendix 8 – Registry-Registrar Agreement

      Section 2.9 – Domain Name Lookup Capability

      Appendix 10 – Service Level Agreement

      Section 2 – SLA Credits

   10. .org Registry Agreement

       http://www.icann.org/en/about/agreements/registries/org

       Registry Agreement

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

       Section 3.6 – Emergency Transition

       Appendix 4 – Registry Operator's Monthly Reports

       Section 2 – Registry Functions Activity Report

       Appendix 5 – WHOIS Specifications

       Appendix 6 – List of Reserved TLD Strings

       Appendix 7 – Functional and Performance Specifications

       Section 6 – IPv6
       Section 7.21 – Bulk Transfer After Partial Portfolio Acquisition

       Appendix 10 – Service Level Agreement

       Section 2.4 – Degraded Performance
       Section 3.12 – Responsibilities of the Parties

   11. .post Sponsored TDL Agreement

       http://www.icann.org/en/about/agreements/registries/post

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

       Appendix 4 – Registry Operator's Monthly Reports

       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

   12. .xxx Sponsored TLD Registry Agreement

       http://www.icann.org/en/about/agreements/registries/xxx

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

       Appendix 4 – Registry Operator's Monthly Reports

       Appendix 5 – WHOIS Specifications

       Appendix 7 – Functional and Performance Specifications

       Section 4 – WHOIS Service Requirements
       Section 7 – Performance Specifications

       Appendix S, Part 6 - WHOIS Specification

       Attachment 1 -- .xxx Product List

   13. Amendment to Base New gTLD Registry Agreement

       Base Registry Agreement (effective 31 July 2017)

       Section 20.2 – Registry Functions Activity Report

       Section 21,1.7.1 – Query Format

       Section 26.3.1.1 – Contents

       Section 27.3 – Reservations for Registry Operations

       Section 28.1 – Standards Compliance

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