The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (
ICANN) is an internationally organized, non-profit corporation. They coordinate the management of all technical elements of the Domain Name System to ensure that users of the Internet can find all valid addresses.
The full scope of their responsibilities includes:
- Internet Protocol (IP) address space allocation
- Protocol identifier assignment
- Generic (gTLD) Top-Level Domain management (.com,. org etc.)
- Country code (ccTLD) Top-Level Domain management (.ca, .us, .cn etc.)
- Management of root server system functions
They also delineate the responsibilities of
Registrants,
Registrars,
Registries, and
Resellers (Domain Providers).
For more information, you can
visit their website.
Policies & Resources:
Expired Registration Recovery Policy
Sets the timeline and process guidelines for domain name expirations and redemptions, outlining the related responsibilities of
Registries and
Registrars, and providing requirements as to how and when
Registrants are notified.
Registrant’s Benefits and Responsibilities
Provides complete and detailed information about your rights and responsibilities as a domain name owner, and explains the relationship between
ICANN and
Domain Registrars.
Registrant Educational Materials
Informative video tutorials to familiarize you with the basics of domain ownership.
These tutorials offer “plain language” summaries of terms related to Registrant Rights and Responsibilities as set out in the Registrar Accreditation Agreement (RAA).
Whois Data Reminder Policy (WDRP)
This policy is enforced by ICANN, and requires all
Registrars to annually present each
Registrant with the current Whois information associated with the Registrant’s domain(s).
This information is sent to the Registrant in a WDRP message, via email. The message will contain a link to a page where the Registrant may update their Whois information, should they need to do so. If the Whois information is still up-to-date and complete, no action is required on the part of the Registrant. A lack of response on the part of Registrant is assumed to mean that the Whois info presented was accurate.
Tucows sends a WDRP messages to each Registrant 120 days before their domain’s expiry date. For domains that are registered for multiple years, this information is sent via email, 120 days before the anniversary of the domain’s initial registration date.
