[arin-ppml] "Leasing" of space via non-connectivity providers (was: Re: And so it ends... )

[Benson Schliesser]

On Feb 10, 2011, at 4:27 PM, William Herrin wrote:

> What authority does ARIN have? Try announcing a route to addresses
> ARIN has registered to someone else. See how long it lasts. ARIN has
> precisely the authority that the folks who operate the Internet choose
> to give it.

Right - ARIN is a non-profit business league incorporated under U.S. law in Virginia.  So, ARIN is hardly comparable to a state government, tax authority, etc.  Further, ARIN is subject to the same liability as any other non-governmental actor.  (This might include anti-trust, price fixing, etc, but more to the point would also include liability for property theft, fraud, direct and incidental damages, etc.)

Don't get me wrong - I support ARIN's role in the community.  My argument is that extending that role into behaviors that might be illegal is a dangerous idea.

Cheers,
-Benson