[arin-ppml] ARIN-2025-4: Resource Issuance to Natural Persons -- Request for Feedback

[David Conrad]

Noah,

>> The real question is why shouldn’t an individual be able to obtain resources?
> 
> Individuals have been able to obtain INR through their LIR/ service providers. Has that changed?

This would appear to be a red herring given as far as I'm aware (but will admit not following this particularly closely recently), in the case of ARIN, those resources remain held by the ISPs/members and are associated with connectivity through that ISP and leased to the customers (be they legal or natural persons) at quite impressive rates. Termination of the ISP connectivity service thus implies the need to renumber out of the ISP’s address space and return that space back to the ISP/member.  We’re discussing resources allocated by the RIRs directly at typically a much lower cost/address than a legal or natural person would get via their ISP (even ignoring the cost of renumbering).

> RIR were not structured to deal with individuals and should remain like that.

I’m unsure why you would believe this, but with the exception of LACNIC, this was not and is not the case. The RIRs were established to allocate and register Internet numbers to those within their region who could justify an operational need for those resources with, at least post-ARPAnet, no significant distinction made whether the recipient was a legal or natural person (I believe it safe to say that there was, in general, an assumption the recipient was an organization but it wasn’t required). Historically (and currently, at least with AfriNIC, APNIC, and RIPE-NCC) there was no restriction against allocation to natural persons.

Also, in an earlier message you stated:

> But when it comes to Internet Number Resources which we have seen some claim to be properties or a commodity, this will create a precedent where persons claim IP  addresses as personal property or part of their estate or assets. They will then advance into courts to make claims and the judges who do not have an idea how the RIR system works will defend their property rights.


Again, something of a red herring (given both legal and natural persons can hold property and/or be subject to binding lease agreements), but I believe whether or not IP addresses (or more generally, Internet numbers) are considered property, a commodity, or an asset, is, for good or ill, water that ran under the bridge almost a decade and a half ago, see, e.g., https://circleid.com/posts/20110427_court_approves_nortels_sale_of_ipv4_addresses_to_microsoft. 
 
Regards,
-drc

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