[address-policy-wg] relevant panel discussion from INET Denver

* Mikael Abrahamsson

> Panel discussion from INET in Denver regarding IPv4 transfer market.
> 
> <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v43CGqq70rM>
> 
> <https://www.ripe.net/ripe/policies/proposals/2013-03> discussion has
> ended, hoping for a positive outcome, and that ARIN (and other RIRs)
> adopt similar policy.

Interesting, thanks for the link!

> We need an IPv4 market that is liquid but where we still assure that the
> seller of addresses have the right to sell them, and that the buyer is
> properly registered in the system (database needs to be in check).

There are conjecture/speculation regarding the existence or formation of
an IPv4 «black market», which runs counter to the goal of keeping the
registry up to date and correct. I think one could make the argument
that 2013-03 would counteract this to some extent - the fewer hurdles
need to be overcome in order to perform a "legit" transfer, in
particular concepts like need evaluation, there is a reduced chance that
that the transfer will done without informing the NCC.

That said: I don't really consider 2013-03 a "transfer policy proposal".
My motivation for making the proposal is to reduce the bureaucracy and
paperwork required to operate my LIR and make assignments to my
customers. I would still have made the proposal even if the current
address policy didn't have any provisions allowing for transfers to
begin with.

> If 2013-03 is accepted, are there any other hurdles within RIPE when it
> comes to fairly clean and hassle-free transfer of addresses both
> inter-RIR and intra-RIR (where RIPE has rules that hinder, not that the
> other RIR has rules that hinder)?

For starters, there's no policy that allows transfer of PI blocks. So if
an enterprise, who is not an LIR, wants to obtain/buy address space for
PI-like use, they'd have to do it "in the shadows", so to speak.

(They would have the option of joining the NCC in order to become a LIR,
obtain the address space, and assign all of it to themselves though, but
if they have no plans of ever making assignments to downstream
customers, I suspect that's simply too many hoops to jump through for some.)

Also, I don't think an existing PI holder could transfer his address
space to a LIR (and convert it to PA in the process), which someone
might want to do at some point.

AIUI, the PI/PA distinction was put in place to limit fragmentation. One
might wonder if it has any utility now that all the space has been
handed out.

Tore