Whois Data Reminder Policy

Posted: 16 June 2003

Whois Data Reminder Policy

• At least annually, a registrar must present to the registrant the current Whois information, and remind the registrant that provision of false Whois information can be grounds for cancellation of their domain name registration. Registrants must review their Whois data, and make any corrections.

Notes

Introduction: The Whois Data Reminder Policy (WDRP) was adopted by ICANN as a consensus policy on 27 March 2003. All ICANN-accredited registrars must comply with the WDRP with respect to registrations they sponsor in all top-level domains for which they are accredited. Details of compliance requirements are provided below.

Process by Which the Policy Was Adopted: The WDRP was established as a consensus policy by ICANN Board resolution 03.41, which was adopted by a 13-1-0 vote by ICANN's Board of Directors on 27 March 2003. It was one of four policies concerning Whois issues that the Generic Names Supporting Organization (GNSO) Council, by a 21-3-0 vote on 20 February 2003, recommended be established as consensus policies.

The GNSO Council and Board votes were based on the Final Report of the GNSO Council's Whois Task Force on Whois Data Accuracy and Bulk Access. That report documented the extent of agreement and disagreement among impacted groups, the outreach process used to seek to achieve adequate representation of the views of groups that are likely to be impacted, and the nature and intensity of reasoned support and opposition to the proposed policy.

The report was posted on the ICANN web site on 11 March 2003, with a call for public comment. Various public comments were received and considered by the Board, and the report was discussed at the ICANN Public Forum session held in Rio de Janeiro on 26 March 2003.

Pursuant to Resolution 03.42, notice of the adoption of this policy was given to all registrars on 16 June 2003.

Time for Coming into Compliance: As provided in subsections 3.7.8, 4.1 and 4.4 of the ICANN Registrar Accreditation Agreement, all ICANN-accredited registrars must come into compliance with the WDRP by their "Compliance Date", as described in the next two sentences. The Compliance Date for registrars accredited before 16 June 2003 is 31 October 2003. The Compliance Date for registrars accredited after 16 June 2003 is the effective date of their accreditation agreements.

Beginning on its Compliance Date, each registrar must provide, before the passage of the anniversary of the creation date of each registration the registrar sponsors, a WDRP Notice (described below) to the registrant for that registration. By way of example, a registrar with a Compliance Date of 31 October 2003 is required to give a WRDP notice for registrations it sponsors on the following schedule:

(Note: WDRP Notices for registrations with creation dates of 29 February may be given no later than 1 March in non-leap years.)

What the WDRP Notice Must Include: Each WDRP notice must include a copy of the data elements listed in RAA subsection 3.3.1 as contained in the registrar's database for each registration, plus a statement reminding the registrant that under the terms of the registration agreement the provision of false Whois information can be grounds for cancellation of a domain name registration.

How, and to Whom, the WDRP Notice May Be Presented: The WDRP Notice can be presented via web, fax, postal mail, e-mail, or other appropriate means. It can be presented in one or more languages, including at least the language of the registration agreement. The Notice may be presented to the registrant either directly or through the administrative contact for each registration.

Documentation Requirements: Registrars must maintain either copies of each WDRP Notice or an electronic database documenting the date and time, and the content, of each WDRP notice sent under this policy. Registrars shall make these records available for inspection by ICANN in accordance with the usual terms of the Registrar Accreditation Agreement. ICANN will consider proper notification to have been given for a registration if the registrar can show that a WDRP Notice meeting the requirements stated above was given at any time in the year before each anniversary of the registration's creation date (for anniversary dates on or after the Compliance Date).

Model WDRP Notice: In order to assist registrars in preparing the required notice, ICANN has provided the following Model WDRP Notice:

[Sample] Whois Data Reminder

A set of frequently asked questions concerning the WDRP, from the perspective of the registrant, can be found here.