[tf1-survey] RE: ICANN/GNSO Whois Task force: Your need for Whois information

["Ben Coppin" <ben@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

My answers filled in, in red, below.

Ben Coppin
Chief Operating Officer
Envisional Limited

Tel: +44 1223 569700

-----Original Message-----
From: GNSO SECRETARIAT [mailto:gnso.secretariat@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx]
Sent: Thursday, February 05, 2004 2:48 PM
To: info@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: ICANN/GNSO Whois Task force: Your need for Whois information



From: ICANN Whois Taskforce 1

Re: Your need for Whois information

To: Envisional


Questions



1) ICANN-Accredited Registrars and gTLD Registries make Whois information
available through multiple query-based mechanisms, including web-based
interfaces and a special network protocol informally referred to as port-43
Whois.  How do you obtain the Whois information?


a.            By submitting queries to a Web-based interface

Sometimes

b.            By submitting queries using special tools, e.g., using
port-43-based interface

c.            By entering into bulk access licenses with ICANN- accredited
registrars.

d.            By obtaining WHOIS data in bulk from an entity that is not an
ICANN-Accredited Registrar.  Please specify the type of entity.

e.            Other (Please explain)

Using the command-line whois command on a UNIX machine.

f.              I don't know.



2) Are you getting this information directly from an ICANN-Accredited
Registrar [Provide a link] or gTLD Registry [Provide a link]?

a.            Yes

b.            No.

c.            I don't know



3) Do you routinely disseminate the obtained Whois information to third
parties (Yes/No/dont know)?



3.1)            If yes, do you disseminate:

3.2)

a. individual WHOIS records

Occasionally

b. WHOIS records in bulk

c. Other (please explain)

d. Dont know



3.2)      If you answered yes to Number 3, how do you disseminate the
obtained Whois information?


a)      I operate a WHOIS proxy that is available through port 43

b)      I operate a WHOIS proxy that is accessible through a web interface

c)      Other (please specify)

Occasional records are included in reports for clients.

d)      Dont know



4) Approximately how many Whois queries/lookups do you perform on average
per day?



a.            Less than 10

b.            10-99

c.            100-1000

d.            More than 1000

e.            It varies too much to select the other options: some days it
is many (say, over 1000) and some days none

f.              I don't know



5) Do you store the Whois information?



a.            Not at all

They are included in reports which are sent to clients, but are not stored anywhere else.

b.            I cache queries for a short period (less than a week)

c.            I store it for longer periods such as more than a week



6) Please indicate the general purposes of your use of Whois data (you may
select more than one item - choose as many that apply)



a.            For law enforcement by public authorities

b.            For intellectual property enforcement by trademark/copyright
holders or their designated representatives

c.            For development of commercial products or services that
facilitate law enforcement by public authorities.

d.            For development of commercial products or services that
facilitate intellectual property enforcement

e.            For marketing purposes

f.              For inter-registrar domain name transfers

g.            To facilitate spam prevention

h.            To operate a public information service

i.              Statistical research on domain name registrations, Internet
users, etc.

j.              For resale of Whois information as an information service

k.            Other: ___________________________________



7) Please provide a brief explanation of your use, if any, of query-based
Whois services.



8) If you currently use Port 43 to access WHOIS information, and such
access were not available in the future, what other source(s) would you use
for such data?


Allwhois, coolwhois.


9) If you were to use such alternate source(s), what do you believe will be
the effect on you or your organization?

It would make it harder for us to carry out these investigations, but would not have a great impact.



10) What is the most important factor driving your access to Whois data as
you currently use it?  your access to WHOIS data.  (Although each answer
may be applicable to you or your organization, please select only the most
relevant answer below):



   a) the cost

   b) the convenience or need for immediate online access to contact
information



   c)  other



Please explain your answer.



Please take a moment to tell us a little about your organization to assist
us in understanding and organizing the results.

Envisional is a small software company based in Cambridge in the UK. We specialise in monitoring the Internet for intellectual property infringements (copyright and trademark) on behalf of our clients. The most common use we make of Whois records is in providing contact details of infringers for our clients when investigating serious infringements.



In order to ensure that your responses are considered by the Task Force,
please respond to this questionnaire by no later than February 16,
2004.  Please send your reply to tf1-survey@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx:



Thank you very much for your time and participation.  For our complete
description of  work, please see
<http://gnso.icann.org/issues/whois-privacy/tor.shtml>http://gnso.icann.org/
issues/whois-privacy/tor.shtml.



Regards,





ICANN Whois Taskforce 1



For more information, please contact the Whois Task Force 1 Chair, Jeffrey
J. Neuman (<mailto:Jeff.Neuman@xxxxxxxxxxx>Jeff.Neuman@xxxxxxxxxxx) or the
ICANN Staff Manager, Barbara Roseman (Roseman@xxxxxxxxx)