[address-policy-wg] 2007-08 Review Period extended until 9 July 2008 (Enabling Methods for Reallocation of IPv4 Resources)

Forgive me if this is paraphrasing, but the main argument I've heard in 
favour of this proposal is "a market is coming anyway so we should act now 
to create one that RIPE NCC has control over".  OK, maybe "control" is too 
strong but the sentiment is there.

Examining the last part in more detail, as far as I can see, the only 
genuine elements of control this policy proposal gives RIPE NCC over a 
transfer market are the following:

* The RIPE community gets to choose when the market starts. But given that 
this is a reactive measure this isn't much.

* Policy control on allocations is enforced.  But then the only policy 
constraint is that addresses assigned to users can be sold.  I can't see 
that as being particularly important, after all people are selling 
addresses not customers.  So what was a minimal policy is actually 
non-existent.

* Addresses are only sold to existing LIRs not just anyone.

* Transfers are registered with RIPE NCC (I'll put aside my scepticism on 
this one for now).

* The receiving LIR must follow RIPE NCC policy for the addresses 
received.

Is that really it?  In which case let's call this policy change for what 
it really is - it is scrapping the allocation policy in order to protect 
the usage policy.  It is not giving RIPE NCC any control over the market. 
All it does is retain RIPE NCC control over the use of addresses after 
they have left the market and go into use.

Jay