[db-wg] Puzzled by RIPE-NCC-LOCKED-MNT

I am having a bit of trouble decyphering the explanation/description of
RIPE-NCC-LOCKED-MNT given on the following page, and I hope someone will
help me to understand.

https://www.ripe.net/publications/news/announcements/deprecation-of-the-none-authentication-scheme


It appears from the above, that there was a transition/reorganization
that took place back around 2004, and that RIPE-NCC-LOCKED-MNT was set
as the maintainer on various objects that were present in the data base
at that time (specifically objects which were not already adequately
password protected) in order to protect some such objects from unauthorized
modification.

Is that description approximately accurate, I mean to a first approximation?
(I understand that I'm probably glossing over a number of the fine points
here, but I am doing so just because I doubt that any of those are even
pertinent to my real question.)

So anyway, my real question is this:

If in fact RIPE-NCC-LOCKED-MNT was just something which was used as a
sort-of "passing phase" stop-gap mechanism, i.e. as just a convenient
expedient for securing things that would otherwise poorly secured,
and if it was only applied in this way back in 2004, and for perhaps
a year or two afterwards, then what would be the explanation for a
*recently created* data base object (e.g. a route object) that has a
created: date of, say, 2014, 2015, or 2016 and also a mnt-by value of
RIPE-NCC-LOCKED-MNT?


Regards,
rfg