WHOIS is a protocol that makes it possible to view the details a given domain name has been registered with through a command line or through the use of special web-based lookup sites. This information includes the names, address and e-mail address of the owner, admin, tech and billing persons in addition to the registrar organization the domain has been acquired through, the creation and expiration dates. Apart from some country-code TLDs that have specific limitations, the WHOIS information of any domain address can be changed freely anytime, which is quite necessary given that in line with the policies of the top-level Internet Corporation, ICANN, all details must be current and correct at all times. Failure to conform with these policies could lead to losing the ownership of a domain and in some cases a domain address might even be erased from the Domain Name System and released for free registration.