Re: BGP Security and PKI Hierarchies

[Florian Weimer <fw () deneb enyo de>]

* Michael Dillon:

> > > How would you feel about having the registries serve as the root of
> > > a hierarchical certificate system?
> >
> > What about the swamp space?
>
> Presumably if the users of class C blocks in the swamp

The class B assignments are even more interesting because some of them
have been split (with or without the consent of the original
assignee).

> want to use the certficate services that the registry provides then
> the registries would sell that service for some reasonable fee.

Which registry?  In many cases, there are two natural choices.

> Some people labor under the misunderstanding that users of swamp
> space actually "own" IP addresses and therefore have the right to
> not pay anybody for anything at anytime. However, since "ownership"
> is a legal concept and since IP address ownership has never been
> tested in the courts, it is a moot point.

I can't follow your argument.  You seem to be saying that we should
not worry *because* we enter uncharted legal terrain.  This attitude
is completely alien to me.

> Do you suppose that if a Microsoft salesman had given me a free copy
> of Windows back in 1990, I would have a right to use any version of
> Windows for free forever?

I guess I had the right to use that version of Windows forever.
Software is not a good example because life cycles are so much
shorter.  But no one is really comfortable with retroactively revoking
software licenses, and it's often impossible because of first sales
doctrine, special copyright regulations (especially in European
countries), antitrust regulations etc.