[tf1-survey] RE: ICANN/GNSO Whois task force 1: Your need for Whois information

["Jay Westerdal" <Jay@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

1) How do you obtain the Whois information?

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

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

	a.   Yes, directly from Registries and Registrars.

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

	Yes

3.2) What do you disseminate

	a. individual WHOIS records

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

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

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

	d.  More than 1000
          We do about 40,000 to 60,0000

5) Do you store the Whois information?

	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
	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

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

	We are a domain information company, we offer people free
	access to whois records. We allow people to access whois records
      from any registrar. Out clients vary, but we know key groups are law
      enforment, domain registrants, and domain shoppers.

      We offer additional information besides just whois such as GIF
      images of the website, meta tags, and other information about
      the domain. We are trying to tie more and more data into the records.

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?

      We could query XML or Web based access methods, but we would prefer
      there be a way to have access granted based on known IPs.

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

      No, not if it is the same information and it is timely.

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):

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

Please explain your answer.

We need immediate access, most users that use our service use it
because it is a lot easier then figuring out who the registry or
registrar is. We centralize peoples whois tasks.

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

Some registrars (NSI) block access to any IP that is not on their
whitelist. There are no rules about who gets on these whitelists
but there needs to be. All registrars should have to follow the same
rules and procedures for granting access.

Rules that I would prepose.....

1) All IPs may request 20 records a day, with no restrictions
2) All Class-Cs can request 100 records a day, with no restrictions
3) Anyone requesting more then 1000 records from a class-C in one
   day should be required to be on an Offical ICANN whitelist.
4) An Offical ICANN whitelist should have requirements like
   eiher be a ICANN registrar, have verified business address,
   documents of incorporation, and post a bond or insurance policy
   stating that will not miss-use information.
5) Registrars should seed whois records to find spammers. Hand out
   seed records to people connecting from whitelists if they are
   requesting one of the seed domains.


These are just rough suggestions.

Jay


-----Original Message-----
From: GNSO SECRETARIAT [mailto:gnso.secretariat@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx]
Sent: Thursday, February 05, 2004 9:52 AM
To: jay@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: ICANN/GNSO Whois task force 1: Your need for Whois information



From: ICANN Whois Taskforce 1

Re: Your need for Whois information

To: Jay Westerdal - Name Intelligence

Dear Jay



Because Whois data accessibility used in your business or activities could
be affected by our recommendations, we encourage you to take a few moments
to answer the questions below. Your input will be greatly appreciated. Your
submissions will not be shared beyond the members of this task force.



This letter comes to you on behalf of the Generic Names Supporting
Organization (GNSO) of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and
Numbers (ICANN).    ICANN is an internationally organized, non-profit
corporation that has responsibility for Internet Protocol address space
allocation, protocol identifier assignment, generic and country code
Top-Level Domain name system management, and root server system management
functions.  The GNSOs role is to help to promote the development of gTLD
domain name-related policy and encourage diverse and international
participation in the technical management of the Internet.



We are members of a Task Force that has been appointed by the GNSO to
examine the uses of Whois information obtained through two very specific
sources.    Under contractual agreements with ICANN, top-level domain
registries and registrars are required to provide access to Whois data
through Port 43as well as through the Web.



To help the task force develop policy recommendations about access to Whois
data, we are gathering information from organizations such as yours that we
understand are using or have used Whois information for various purposes.



Please note that all questions pertain only to whois information which is
the name, email, street address, phone and other information about the
registrant, and the other contacts, of the domain name), and not to zone
file information which is the list of all domain names (with each names
name servers) registered at the registry.



In addition, for each question except for the last one, please feel free to
select more than one answer to each question, if more than one answer is
applicable.



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
<mailto:tf1-survey@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>tf1-survey@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx




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

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)

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

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)

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

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?





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





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.



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)