[Community-Discuss] Blog: A Comprehensive audit of the AFRINIC WHOIS Database

[Owen DeLong]

> Noah,

> 

> There is an hierarchy regarding the legacy space:

> 

> 1. Legacy Space as a whole


I think the idea of “legacy space” is a mistake. The idea that there is some magical property to addresses which were first issued prior to the existence of RIRs which is preserved in perpetuity is absurd.

There are legacy registrations which have certain questions about their contractual status and there is a great deal of ambiguity around what obligations the RIRs have towards those registrants and what, if any obligations those registrants have with regard to the RIRs.

However, once that space is transferred, it should not have any special status. The new registrant should sign a contract with the RIR and should receive the space under the same terms and conditions as if that space was issued today.


> 2. Idle Legacy Space [There are indeed legacy spaces in use, and not idle]

> 


This would be legacy registrations where the registrant is not using the space or where the registrant no longer exists and the space has not yet been stolen, hijacked, or otherwise misclaimed.

In the former case, it is up to the legacy registrant how they wish to handle the situation, through transfer, retaining the space, or returning it to the appropriate RIR.

In the latter case, ideally, the RIR in question reclaims the space. However, in reality, identifying and sufficiently documenting the situation in order to do a reclamation is very difficult.

> 3. Hijacked and now recovered Idle legacy Space. [There are some legacy spaces that can never be reclaimed by their initial allotees, probably because they are out of business, and there is no successor organization]

> 


Other than the fact that it got hijacked at some time, I don’t see much difference between this and the above mentioned cases under 2. I think it is largely a distinction without a difference.

Owen

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