Wired: WHO OWNS WHOIS DATABASE? (POL. Thursday)
Robert Raisch, who was active in initial commercialization of the domain-name system and now an Internet business consultant, said if the investigation is successful the Whois database will be deemed a public resource.
When did DOJ acquire the authority to deem the information
extracted from a private company's customer database a
"public resource?"
"There are a number of businesses who require the information in Whois in order to be able to compete," he said. But it's no longer possible to download that info en masse, he complains. "You have to go and probe Whois. It's managed by NSI and now it's designed to put a chokehold on companies that wish to harvest that information."
Is anyone aware of when you could download "Whois" en masse?
--tony
