On 25 Apr 2021, at 4:59 PM, Sabri Berisha <sa...@cluecentral.net<mailto:sa...@cluecentral.net>> wrote:
----- On Apr 25, 2021, at 2:24 AM, Bill Woodcock wo...@pch.net<mailto:wo...@pch.net> wrote: Hi, I think I’d characterize it, rather, as a possible privatization of public property. This comment sparked my curiosity. Does ARIN consider IP space to be property? One could argue both ways: 1. Whomever "owns" a netblock simply owns the right to use and advertise it as long as it's being used for the purposes under which it was assigned by a number registry. This would be similar to "apartment rights" in a condominium complex. OR; 2. IP space comes with property rights such as selling and leasing as one wishes. But, that would also imply that IP space can be stolen. I'd be curious to hear what ARIN's position is on this. Sabri - ARIN’s position can be clearly found in section 2 of the Registration Services Agreement <https://www.arin.net/about/corporate/agreements/rsa.pdf> - – When parties are issued IP address blocks, they are given a limited bundle of contractual rights to an entry in the registry database. – These rights include the exclusive right to be associated with a specific entry, the exclusive right to administer that entry in the ARIN registry database, and exclusive right of transfer this bundle of rights in accordance with adopted policy. Two things: a) None of this pertains to a right to announce or route an IP address block – ISPs each control their own routing and often care about who holds rights to a block in the registry, but that does not equate to issuing a “right to route.” b) You’ll probably want to discuss with legal counsel for more specifics of the nuances between contractual rights versus property rights, particularly when if comes to intangible rights, enforceability against specific parties versus the world, etc. Thanks! /John John Curran President and CEO American Registry for Internet Numbers
