[gtld-tech] Registrar Expiration Date I-D

[Greg Aaron]

Once .COM and .NET (and .jobs) go thick, do registrars want to or need to
operate WHOIS servers at all?  One of the ostensible benefits of thick
registries is that there's only a need for one WHOIS server -- the
authoritative registry one.  Right now, at least on their web-based WHOIS,
many registrars just regurgitate registry WHOIS for any gTLD domain except
for .COM and .NET.

So I see three options: 
1. Registrar-based WHOIS will always be required, because of expiration date
variances we've been discussing here, caused by auto-renewals and registrar
payment policies.
2. Registrar-based WHOIS goes away.  Registry WHOIS contains an Registry
Expiration Date AND a Registrar Expiration Date field.  The registrar
populates and manages the latter.
3. Registrar-based WHOIS goes away.  The WHOIS only shows the registry
expiration date, and registrars and registrants have to communicate with
each other about expirations and payments etc.

All best,
--Greg


-----Original Message-----
From: gtld-tech-bounces at icann.org [mailto:gtld-tech-bounces at icann.org] On
Behalf Of Jody Kolker
Sent: Tuesday, January 26, 2016 2:19 PM
To: Maxim Alzoba; Rob Golding
Cc: gtld-tech at icann.org
Subject: Re: [gtld-tech] Registrar Expiration Date I-D

Hi Everyone,

Just a few facts to recap:

1.  I can't recall a single gTLD that is contracted by ICANN that does not
auto renew a registered domain.  Every registered domain is renewed by the
registry either on the expiration date of the domain or 45 days after the
expiration date.  The domain is never deleted at the registry unless
requested by the registrar or a policy supported mechanism.
       
2.  There are millions of domains where the registrar expiration date does
not match the registry expiration date due to the auto renewal that is
performed by the registry and the fact that the registrant has not renewed
with the registrar.   

3.  The registrant has an agreement with the registrar to provide service
for the registration of the domain, but does not have an agreement with the
registry.  If the domain is not registered or deleted by the registrar, the
registrant is going to contact the registrar regarding the issue.  

The registry expiration date provides a false sense of security to the
registrant.  It does not display the actual date of service that the
registrant has actual purchased and the registrar has agreed to provide.  

Adding the registrar expiration date to the registry whois will lead to more
confusion to the registrant when the dates don't match.

An option could be to add a link to the whois output to an ICANN page listed
with the registry expiration date and the registrar expiration date to
explain what the date means to the registrant.  The link could be very
similar to the links provided in the whois to explain the various domain
statuses.  Here is an example of the links listed for the domain statuses:

Domain Status: clientDeleteProhibited
https://www.icann.org/epp#clientDeleteProhibited
Domain Status: clientTransferProhibited
https://www.icann.org/epp#clientTransferProhibited
Domain Status: clientUpdateProhibited
https://www.icann.org/epp#clientUpdateProhibited

The registry whois could be updated to:

Registry Expiry Date: 2017-01-13T04:00:00Z
https://ww.icann.org/epp#registryexpirationdate

The registrar whois could be updated to:

Registrar Registration Expiration Date: 2016-01-13T04:00:00Z
https://ww.icann.org/epp#registarregistrationexpirationdate

Another option would be to remove the requirement of the registry to display
the expiration date entirely and require the customer to go to the registrar
to verify the expiration date of the domain.

Thoughts?


Thanks,
Jody Kolker

-----Original Message-----
From: gtld-tech-bounces at icann.org [mailto:gtld-tech-bounces at icann.org] On
Behalf Of Maxim Alzoba
Sent: Tuesday, January 26, 2016 10:06 AM
To: Rob Golding
Cc: gtld-tech at icann.org
Subject: Re: [gtld-tech] Registrar Expiration Date I-D

Hello Rob, 

Registries process domain data according to their particular domain
lifecycle, and it is done basing on the registry dates.

Sincerely Yours,

Maxim Alzoba
Special projects manager,
International Relations Department,
FAITID

m. +7 916 6761580
skype oldfrogger

Current UTC offset: +3.00 (Moscow)

On Jan 26, 2016, at 15:21 , "Rob Golding" <rob.golding at astutium.com> wrote:

>> VERISIGN WHOIS SEZ:
>> Expiration Date: 09-feb-2017
>> The REGISTRAR WHOIS SEZ:
>> Registrar Registration Expiration Date: 2016-05-25T05:45:12-05:00
> 
> Essentially, as long as the registrardate <= registrydata, then
all-is-good(tm) it's when they're the other way around that 'issues' can
arise.
> 
> Is the real question not simply "why does anyone need to know" ? 
> 
> Registrant s/be relying on their Registrar Everyone else doesn't 
> matter as it's none of their business
> 
> Rob
>