PIR takes the lead in advocating policies that support and strengthen the .ORG community. Currently, PIR is concentrating on issues surrounding WHOIS and the Uniform Dispute Resolution Policy.

WHOIS
WHOIS is an Internet service that allows anyone to obtain registration and contact information about domain name holders (registrants) in all generic top-level domains (TLDs). Although there are certain limitations on commercial use of the information, there are no effective means for protection of personal privacy. PIR holds this information for .ORG as other registries hold it for other generic TLDs. And like all generic TLDs, PIR currently is required to make this information available through the WHOIS service in accordance with its agreement with ICANN.

PIR believes that this requirement needs to be changed so that no individual's contact information (including e-mail addresses, physical addresses and telephone numbers) is made publicly available through the WHOIS service.

Originally, WHOIS data were made publicly available to give network operators a way to contact each other. As the Internet and the number of domain name holders have grown, however, this justification for making WHOIS data publicly available no longer applies. PIR and its Advisory Council, therefore, are actively participating in proceedings to advocate for appropriate changes to the WHOIS contract requirements.

For an example of PIR's advocacy efforts on this issue, see our "Policy Positions" page.

Uniform Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP)
The UDRP is an arbitration/mediation procedure that is used to resolve issues related to alleged trademark infringement and bad-faith registration of domain names. In some UDRP cases, the domain name holder has registered a domain name that combines a business name with a pejorative term to express unfavorable opinions about the business.

While trademark protection is a legitimate concern, it principally applies to protecting names for commercial use, which is one type of legitimate use of the Internet. Most .ORG Web sites, however, are used for noncommercial purposes, including information sharing, expressing opinions and criticism. These purposes also are legitimate uses of the Internet. PIR and its Advisory Council propose amending the UDRP as it applies to .ORG domain names so this type of use is recognized as legitimate and becomes a factor in UDRP decisions.