[address-policy-wg] Staff participation in the IP market

Please forgive me if this question is deemed inappropriate for this
specific mailing list and working group.  This seems to be the most
appropriate WG for my question.

I hope also that no one will take any offense nor any unstated
implication from my question.  I intend to put this question also
to the communities of each and every one of the five global
Regional Internet Registries.  Nothing should be inferred from
the fact that I am starting this process in the RIPE region.

My question is a simple one:  Are policies in place, within the RIPE
region, which prohibit RIPE NCC staff members from participating in
the current open market for IP addresses?

I do believe that everyone on this mailing list must be well and truly
aware of that fact that the buying, selling, and trading of IPv4 addresses
is nowadays a lucrative and growing business.  It should also be altogether
clear and apparent that RIPE NCC staff could, if permitted to do so,
leverage their significant and special ``insider'' knowledge to gain
some advantage in this market, relative to other market participants.
Thus, I wish to know simply if such participation is or is not currently
prohibited or allowed by current applicable staff policy.

To reiterate, nothing at all should be inferred from my question.  I am
most assuredly not making any allegations nor even any vague implications
by my question.  This general question came up in an unrelated context,
and now I just want to know whether or not each of the five regions have
policies in place with respect to staff participation in the burgeoning
IP address market.


Regards,
rfg