WHOIS is a protocol which makes it possible to view the information a specific domain has been registered with through a command line or by using special web-based lookup websites. This info includes the names, address and e-mail address of the owner, administrator, tech and billing persons as well as the registrar business the domain has been purchased through, the creation and expiration dates. Aside from several country-code TLDs that have specific limitations, the WHOIS info of any domain address can be changed freely anytime, which is quite vital given that based on the policies of the top-level Internet Corporation, ICANN, all details ought to be current and valid at all times. Failing to conform with these policies may result in losing the ownership of a domain address and in some cases a domain address could even be erased from the Domain Name System and released for free registration.