[ppml] Policy Proposal 2008-2: IPv4 Transfer Policy Proposal

[Stephen Sprunk]

Thus spake "Cliff Bedore" <cliffb at cjbsys.bdb.com>
> One problem with listing end user blocks for sale is that technically,
> the end user can no longer justify their current allocation and it would
> seem that ARIN would be justified in reclaiming them is a fair number
> of cases rather than approving a transfer sale.

You're missing the difference between "justify" and "need".

I don't _need_ a public address for every host on my network, even though 
I'd be _justified_ in getting such from ARIN under current policy.  All I 
_need_ is a handful of addresses and a NAT box.  If someone was willing to 
pay me to switch from the former model to the latter -- more than my cost of 
doing so -- why would I choose not to?

There's also the issue of determining if ARIN _can_ reclaim unjustified 
address space from the people that hold most of it: legacy holders.  Any 
attempt to do so is virtually certain to result in expensive lawsuits that 
will drag on for years, defeating the purpose.  This proposal would give 
legacy holders an economic incentive to give up address space that we likely 
could not get back by any other means.

For that matter, ARIN doesn't think it can reclaim _any_ unjustified space 
except in the event of fraud; that may change if 2007-14 passes in Denver. 
Even then, that proposal contains an explicit exemption for legacy space due 
to the above issue.

>> Do any of those reasons alter your opinion, or do you still believe
>> IANA Free Pool exhaustion is the wrong time?
>
> I understand your argument but I think the answer has to decided based
> on whether ARIN is more interested in promoting the switch to v6 or
> band-aiding v4 for as long as possible.

I've been told that ARIN (meaning the corporation, not the community) is not 
in the business of promoting one protocol over another or encouraging people 
to switch.  Being a resposible steward, which is ARIN's charter, means they 
must continue to serve v4 needs to the extent possible given the technical 
constraints; if people find that v6 meets their needs better due to not 
having those technical constraints, people will move of their own volition.

S

Stephen Sprunk         "God does not play dice."  --Albert Einstein
CCIE #3723         "God is an inveterate gambler, and He throws the
K5SSS        dice at every possible opportunity." --Stephen Hawking