WHOIS is a protocol that makes it an easy task to view the information a specific domain name has been registered with either through a command line or by using special web-based lookup websites. This information includes the names, address and e-mail address of the owner, admin, tech and billing persons in addition to the registrar company the domain address has been purchased through, the creation and expiration dates. Except for some country-code TLDs that have certain limitations, the WHOIS information of any domain address can be modified freely at any time, which is quite necessary since in accordance with the policies of the top-level Internet Corporation, ICANN, all details have to be current and valid at all times. Failure to comply with these policies may lead to losing the ownership of an Internet domain and in many cases a domain might even be erased from the Domain Name System and released for free registration.