[ppml] alternative realities (was PIv6 for legacy holders (/w RSA + efficient use))

[michael.dillon at bt.com]

> >http://www.apnic.net/docs/policy/proposals/prop-050-v001.html

Written by Geoff Huston, a proponent of buying and selling of IPv4
addresses. This proposal allows two address holders to transfer
ownership of an address range directly, without first returning it to
the RIR. The proposal doesn't deal with any details of the business
arrangement between the two parties but presumably, the end goal of the
proposal is to enable a market in IP addresses.

The proposal does require the recipient of the address range to comply
with RIR policies so they presumably must show a technical justification
for the address range. And it requires the company giving away
adddresses to NOT apply for new addresses for some period of time.
Presumably the theory is that company A has a surplus and instead of
handing it to the RIR or waiting for an RIR audit to reclaim the
addresses, they sell some addresses to company B instead.

This type of policy is pushing the RIRs into being commodities exchanges
for IP addresses. 

Note, that even though this policy proposal only applies to IPv4
addresses, it is possible that it may set legal precedents for other
types of Internet numbering resources such as IPv6 addresses, AS
numbers, MIBs and so on. And yes, even telephone numbers.

Another implication of this proposal is that a company holding a single
RIR allocation, e.g. a /16, could deaggregate their routes and begin
announcing 256 /24 prefixes so that they can sell off addresses which
they no longer need. A company could reduce their address needs by a
vigorous program of converting customers to NAT, a conversion to IPv6,
or simply by selling their customers and network while holding on to
their valuable IP address ranges.

I don't like it. It just makes life more complicated during a time
period in which we already have enough complexity to deal with.

APNIC will discuss this at their meeting on the 6th of September.

--Michael Dillon