Re: And so it ends...

[Benson Schliesser <bensons () queuefull net>]

On Feb 3, 2011, at 10:57 AM, John Curran wrote:

> On Feb 3, 2011, at 11:51 AM, Benson Schliesser wrote:
> > > Such transfers should be reported when noticed, so the resources can be reclaimed and reissued.
> >
> > Is any RIR authorized, in a legal sense, to "reclaim" legacy address blocks that RIR didn't "issue"?  Without that 
> > legal authority, is any RIR prepared to accommodate the legal damages stemming from "reclamation"? (Does the RIR 
> > membership support such action, in the first place?)
>
> Resources are listed in the ARIN WHOIS database, which is administered per policies established by the community in 
> this region.
>
> Short answer: there's no shortage of authority updating that database as long as the community wishes it so.

I respect the community-driven process and I respect that ARIN's role is to enforce community-developed policy.  From 
that perspective, thank you for your answer.

But that's only valid up to a point.  If the community declared overwhelmingly that ARIN should start clubbing random 
people over the head, I suspect your legal counsel would take issue with that policy and ARIN would refuse to enforce 
it.

Of course this is only theoretical at the moment.  The rubber will meet the road soon, now that the exhaustion phase 
has arrived.

Cheers,
-Benson