How does the Shared Registration System (SRS) work?
The USG Department of Commerce required Network Solutions, under Amendment 11 of its Cooperative Agreement ( http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/domainname/proposals/docnsi100698.htm , effective Oct. 7, 1998) to set up a protocol and software to allow competing, certified registrars access to the shared registration databases. Amendment 11 allows Network Solutions to charge for its registry functions “no more than a dollar amount per registration/year to be specified in a further amendment reflecting NSI’s costs and a reasonable return on its investment,” plus adjustments to reflect certain “demonstrated changed costs”. Network Solutions nontheless continues to contest the amount of this fee with ICANN and the USG Department of Commerce, and most recently (Amendment 13 to its Cooperative Agreement) set a registry fee of $9 per domain name per year. Network Solutions, as registry, maintains a gratis, public TCP port 43 rwhois service at rs.internic.net, to furnish registration-status infor
