Just because someone can't or doesn't want to trade something doesn't mean it has no value. We know that there have been examples where companies have merged or been acquired for the address space they held and that space determined the price of the transaction. And there is a grey market in address space outside the RIR system. Which implies that addresses do have a value. If this is the case, then 2007-08 won't 'suddenly' give address space value. That value would already exist. A grey or black market is dangerous for the consistency of the RIPE database, and I think the
Hello Jim, thing to focus on here is how to keep the RIPE database consistent. If a market already exists then 2007-08 could give us the tools to ensure that consistency. Sander (not speaking as wg chair)