On Thu, Sep 23, 2021 at 2:41 PM David Farmer via ARIN-PPML <arin-ppml@arin.net> wrote: > I have a question for those that oppose the leasing or loaning of IPv4 > addresses to other entities absent connectivity; Is it the rent-paying or > that lack of connectivity provided with the addresses that offend you? Or, > both?
Hi David, The defined Economics term is "rent seeking." Just renting something to someone is not "rent seeking." The term has a specific meaning. Briefly, it means exploiting a rule-making process (such as law, regulation or other public policy) often by changing it to let you make money without adding value. Address transfers are at least notionally not rent seeking - the recipient isn't paying for the addresses, he's paying the former registrant's one-time cost to reconfigure to stop using them while the addresses themselves convey to the new registrant for exactly the same cost as the original registrant. Yes I know that's ridiculous. Call it a "legal fiction." Address leasing, on the other hand, is unapologetically rent seeking. I have them only because the regulatory agency allowed it. I add no value by letting you pay me to use them but you have no choice because the regulatory agency has no more to offer. I and my contemporaries took them all. What's wrong with a little rent seeking? Rent seeking is anticompetitive behavior. Quoting from https://www.investopedia.com/terms/r/rentseeking.asp : "Rent seeking can disrupt market efficiencies and create pricing disadvantages for market participants. It has been known to cause limited competition and high barriers to entry. Those that benefit from successful rent seeking obtain added economic rents without any added obligations. This can potentially create unfair advantages, specifically providing wealth to certain businesses that leads to greater market share at the detriment of competitors." Regards, Bill Herrin -- William Herrin b...@herrin.us https://bill.herrin.us/ _______________________________________________ ARIN-PPML You are receiving this message because you are subscribed to the ARIN Public Policy Mailing List (ARIN-PPML@arin.net). Unsubscribe or manage your mailing list subscription at: https://lists.arin.net/mailman/listinfo/arin-ppml Please contact i...@arin.net if you experience any issues.
