[ppml] Proposed Policy: IPv4 Countdown

[Howard, W. Lee]

> >If the community comes to consensus around a policy 
> providing for #2, 
> >then, it will be acceptable at least until such time as the courts 
> >determine otherwise.  OTOH, if the community does not come to such a 
> >consensus, then, there is no policy to support such action.
> >
> >Currently, there is no policy to support such action.
> 
> Exactly, and this issue must be faced squarely or we are just 
> wasting our time on the whole issue of extending the life of 
> IPv4 on the Internet.

Without a proposal, we can only face this issue obliquely.
There are two tools ARIN has: policy, and fees.  I beg and plead
with you to propose something.  

> It seems to me that the current allocation scheme is 
> fundamentally based on the concept of need of addresses for 
> your own use.  That is, if I need addresses for my network, 
> and I can demonstrate this need, then I will get them.  It is 
> not based on the idea that I need a chunk of addresses so I 
> can turn around and make a lot of money selling them to 
> someone who really does need them.  ISP's for example, when 
> they assign an IP address to a customer, if the customer 
> quits service, the IP address stays with the ISP.
> 
> This is a morality question of sorts.

Would you propose that we abolish the allocation system, and
only assign to end user organizations?

 
> In the history of human endeavor 
[. . .]
> Thus the idea is that fundamentally, any idea of creating a 
> free market of IP addresses being bought and sold, is 
> tanasmount to patenting the Christian idea of "do unto 
> others" or it is tansamount to issuing a copyright on "the 
> happy birthday song"

That song is (probably) protected by copyright.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Happy_Birthday_to_You

Lee