WHOIS is a protocol which makes it an easy task to see the info a particular domain name has been registered with either through a command line or through the use of special web-based lookup websites. This information includes the names, address and e-mail address of the owner, administrator, technical and billing persons plus the registrar company the domain name has been obtained through, the creation and expiration dates. Except for some country-code TLDs that have specific limitations, the WHOIS details of any domain address can be changed freely anytime, which is quite important since based on the policies of the top-level Internet Corporation, ICANN, all details have to be current and legitimate at all times. Failing to comply with these policies may result in losing the ownership of a domain address and in some cases a domain may even be erased from the Domain Name System and released for free registration.