RE: [ripe-152bis] Updating "Charging by Local Internet Registries"

[Mike Norris <]

> We have some subscribers and so I'd like to re-ask the 
> question I asked 
> at RIPE 46[1] in order to kick off some discussion.
> 
> This document currently states that:
> 
> "while registries may charge for their administrative and technical 
> services, they may not charge for name space or address space 
> as such; no unit cost or price tag can be attached to a domain name or

> to an IP address, public or private."
> 
> Should domain names be included in this document? Should AS 
> Numbers be added?

I'd say it's logical to include AS numbers; the principles that
apply to addresses apply equally to AS numbers e.g. finite resource,
no intrinsic value without connectivity, they are administered by 
RIPE NCC, etc.

Domain names are different, though.  They are not finite in the
same way as IP addresses are - maybe they're transfinite?  Also,
they would seem to have a market value, and are traded as such.
Perhaps more importantly, though, is that since ripe-152 was 
first written, CENTR has been set up, with a remit to discuss 
policy matters of domain registries in Europe.  So perhaps it's
no longer valid for RIPE to make policy statements about name
space, unless it impacts on established RIPE policy matters.

Regards.

Mike Norris

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