[Rt4-whois] Centralized Whois Query system run by ICANN

[Lutz Donnerhacke]

Proposal:

Summary:
  ICANN should set up and maintain a web interface to access
  all the WHOIS services in order to ease access to the WHOIS data.

Presumption:
  The AoC requires that "ICANN implement measures to maintain timely,
  unrestricted and public access to accurate and complete WHOIS information,
  including registrant, technical, billing, and administrative contact
  information."

Observation:
  An User Insight Report came up with the following results:
   + Almost nobody is aware of whois
   + Almost nobody is able to query a whois server correctly
   + Whois queries were done on websites which occur first in the search
     engine results. Usually those pages are overloaded with advertisments.

Detailed recommendation:
  ICANN should set up a dedicated, multilingual website to allow
  "unrestricted and public access to accurate and complete WHOIS
  information" even for those people which have problems with the plain
  WHOIS protocol.
  
  The WHOIS information should be collected by following the thin WHOIS
  approach starting at whois.iana.org. The service should display the
  contractural relationships which are revealed by the WHOIS referals in
  a clear and understandable way. The results should be mark clearly the
  relevant information "including registrant, technical, billing, and
  administrative contact" data.
  
  The server needs to be run by ICANN itself, because the "timely,
  unrestricted and public access" is usually rate limited, stripped or even
  blocked by the various WHOIS server administrators for uncontractual
  third party access. ICANN itself is the only party having the power to
  overcome those limits using its contratual compliance.