WHOIS is a protocol that makes it simple to view the information a specific domain name has been registered with either through a command line or with the help of special web-based lookup websites. This info includes the names, address and email address of the owner, administrator, technical and billing persons along with the registrar company the Internet domain has been acquired through, the creation and expiration dates. With the exception of some country-code TLDs that have certain limitations, the WHOIS details of any domain can be modified freely at any time, which is quite important provided that based on the policies of the top-level Internet Corporation, ICANN, all details have to be current and valid at all times. Inability to conform with these policies could lead to losing the ownership of a domain and in some cases a domain may even be erased from the Domain Name System and released for free registration.