WHOIS is a protocol which makes it easy to view the information a specific domain name has been registered with through a command line or through the use of special web-based lookup websites. This info includes the names, address and email address of the owner, administrator, tech and billing persons along with the registrar company the domain address has been acquired through, the creation and expiration dates. Except for a few country-code TLDs that have specific limitations, the WHOIS details of any domain name can be changed freely at any time, which is quite vital given that in accordance with the policies of the top-level Internet Corporation, ICANN, all details ought to be current and valid always. Failing to comply with these policies could lead to losing the ownership of a domain name and in many cases a domain address could even be removed from the Domain Name System and released for free registration.