[arin-ppml] ARIN-prop-136 Services Opt-out Allowed for Unaffiliated Address Blocks

[John Curran]

On Feb 25, 2011, at 8:39 AM, Milton L Mueller wrote:
> Good points, John. In terms of details, I don't think it's all that complicated for ARIN to start the process by making it clear that bulk access to its Whois data could be provided on request to other organizations that abide by the restrictions of the bulk access agreement

I hereby state that ARIN provides bulk access to its Whois 
data per the bulk access agreement.

> (e.g., no use for marketing/spam). Other RIRs could easily make the same commitment. Frankly, I think providing bulk access to the party who has requested it is not prevented and may be required by current policy. ]

You'd be incorrect, but you do have a right to such a view.

> In theory, you are correct that the broader contours of policy regarding competitive registries should be developed globally. I'd support that. As a matter of historical fact, however, most such policy innovations don't follow prescribed channels, they tend to be provoked by some disruption that originates opportunistically in one location and then spreads to another.* Nevertheless, ICANN and its ASO could and should initiate a process to deal with it. I'd help with such an effort though don't have the cycles or resources to take responsibility for it, and am not well positioned as the ASO is at present representative of no one by the RIRs. 

I imagine if a material proposal was made on how to address this 
matter globally, then it would enjoy ample discussion in many 
forums.  That certainly has been the case with other significant 
changes in Internet resource management.

> One obstacle to a global policy develop process using ICANN as a venue is that ICANN's legitimacy and authority are constantly undermined by the USG and GAC, which compete with it for policy authority. This encourages parties to run to governments when they don't get the results they want from the ICANN process. Given the increasingly high stakes in address policy, I can only imagine how such a scenario might play out in address policy.

That has not historically been an impediment with respect 
to global number resource policy, but then again, such global 
policy proposals have not been brought into the ICANN process 
until they've been thoroughly discussed and achieved consensus
in the regions.

FYI,
/John

John Curran
President and CEO
ARIN