NON-MEMBERS TAG HOLDERS MEMBERS
Tag Holder F.A.Q.
The output message will show values for the following fields:
- Registrant name
- Registrant address (where opt-out has not been chosen)
- Tag Holder name
- Tag Name
- Tag URL
- Date of registration
- Last update
- Date renewal is due
- Name server information
Is there an example of what the WHOIS will look like?
A test output of the WHOIS will be available from 1 September 2002 in the members-only section of the web site at: http://www.nominet.org.uk/members-private/expanded-whois/
What change will happen on 1 October 2002?
The expanded WHOIS will include the above fields for all registrations from 1 October 2002, but it will only include the address details of Registrants that have been identified as businesses - see http://www.nominet.org.uk/ref/whois1.html. The registrant address fields for all other domain names will only start to appear from 1 December 2002.
Why are you not including individual addresses from 1 October 2002?
This is because Nominet appreciates that some individuals are concerned about having their personal address published and have asked for an opportunity to opt-out. Therefore, Nominet has decided it will only start to add the address details for individuals from 1 December 2002, having drawn to their attention the new Terms and Conditions of registration and the ability to opt-out of having their address displayed.
Will all the addresses of individuals appear from 1 December 2002?
No, the address fields for non-trading individuals will only be displayed as they register or renew their domain under the new Terms and Conditions from 1 December 2002. The address details for these registrations will start to appear at the end of the month in which the domain name is registered or renewed. This means that apart from those who have opted out, the address details on the expanded whois will be fully populated by December 2004.
Who is able to opt-out of the WHOIS?
Only non-trading individuals are able to opt-out of having their address details shown on the WHOIS. Non-trading individuals are defined as Registrants who are not businesses and who are not using or intending to use their domain name in the course of a business, trade or profession.
How can the opt-out be chosen?
In order to choose the opt-out, Tag Holders must firstly mark the "reg-type" IND (individual) on the Automaton template, and secondly mark an additional "opt-out" field with the value YES to indicate that the Registrant does not wish to have their address details displayed. If the opt-out field is left blank it will be assumed that the Registrant has NOT opted out.
In order to remove the opt-out from a domain name, the value will need to be set to NO by modifying the domain name.
When can I start to use the new opt-out field?
You can start populating the new template field from 1 September 2002, however as the opt-out only applies to non-trading individuals the results will only be seen as these details start to come online from 1 December 2002.
What information will the WHOIS return if an individual has chosen to opt-out?
If an individual has chosen to opt-out the Registrant address field will not appear on the WHOIS, instead the enquirer will be directed towards their Tag Holder. In this case the Registrant name will be given and the address field will read: "This individual has chosen to opt-out of the WHOIS. Contact via Agent".
What information will be returned if the Registrant address field is not populated in the Register database?
If there are no Registrant address details held for a domain name, the address field will show the address field of the administrative contact. This address will be flagged to show that it has been taken from the administrative contact field.
Please be aware that if a domain name has been moved to your Tag and you have not updated the administrative contact or completed the "reg" fields, you may find that the details of your customer's old ISP are displayed.
How can I change my Tag Holder details that are listed on the WHOIS?
The WHOIS will display the name of the Tag Holder, their Tag Name and a corresponding URL that are taken from the current entry on the Nominet Tag Holder database. To request that Nominet amend any of these details, you will need to send a pgp-signed message to nominet@nominet.org.uk.
What if no Tag Holder details are shown?
If there are no Tag Holder details shown on the WHOIS, the domain name is not associated with an active Tag. This could mean that the Registrant registered directly with Nominet or that their previous Tag Holder is no longer trading. For further information about these domain names you should contact Nominet.
What does the renewal date indicate?
The renewal date given on the WHOIS is the next date on which the domain name is due to be renewed (ie two years after the original registration or last renewal was made).
How quickly will the renewal date be updated?
The renewal date will be updated once Nominet has been paid for the domain name renewal. At this point, the listing will be changed to show the date on which the domain name is next due for renewal. This will usually occur on the day that the domain name was paid for.
