[ppml] Address Space versus Routing Slots

[Michael.Dillon at btradianz.com]

> > At the same
> > time I believe it likely that ARIN will not accept new ISP
> > applicants for IPv4 PA space but will only allocate that
> > space to existing ISPs.
> 
> :-).  And people complain now about how the RIRs restrain trade...

Yes. However, we are talking about a hypothetical
future time in which IPv6 Internet access is more
widely available. Therefore, restricting access to
IPv4 addresses does not really restrain trade because
new entrants into the market are still free to use
IPv6. We will have only removed the choice to use
obsolete technology.

> Um.  I'm a member of the PUBLIC and what Geoff is saying is fairly 
> plain to me.  Which words did you have trouble with?

David, anyone who has spent a few years working
within the realm of Internet politics, must accept
that they are no longer just plain members of the
public. You and I understand (or think we understand)
all kinds of jargon that is inscrutrable to most 
members of the public including the vast majority
of ARIN members. Check the recent postings to the
ARIN-DISCUSS list to see what I mean.

I believe that we need to reach out to include
more people in policymaking rather than close 
ranks and keep newcomers out by bamboozling them
with arcane terminology.

> Don't be silly. Sure it does. ARIN and the other RIRs do not permit 
> independent trade in address space.

Are you not aware of the numerous instances where 
people have bought and sold IPv4 address ranges 
using shell companies? The main thing that limits the
trade in address space is that the courts do not
consider IP addresses to be PROPERTY and therefore
the courts will not enforce simple contracts of
sale. If I wanted to I could sell you 199.167/16
and then turn around and sell it to someone in
China and someone else in Australia. The best
that you could do against me in court is to get
your money back because I did not deliver ANYTHING
at all. But you won't get the court to revoke
the Chinese and Australian sales in favor of your
sale.

Since IP addresses are not property, there is no
IP address market to regulate.

> Well, an overall model exists, whether anyone says it is needed or 
> not.  The current overall model is defined within the existing RIR 
> structures and policies which evolve over time.  It is decentralized, 
> bottom-up driven and one operational component of that model is that 
> it currently disallows market-based mechanisms to improve address 
> utilization efficiencies in IPv4 for good or ill. 

If you want to call this an overall model, then fine. 
This is the way that it should be and I don't see any
major problems with it, other than the fact that nobody
gets to have things all their own way.

> Michael: in my memory, this was probably the worst message you've 
> sent on this mailing list.

Well, you can't win them all. ;-)

--Michael Dillon