The term "Globally unique addresses" is useful if you mean PUBLIC part of the network. In my own network I can use the address I like, not involving the RIPE or any other organizations and rules. If I want to interconnect with another network I should agree with the network only, not with all the world.
Let me describe a real situation that we have with some of our customers. One of several IP networks that we operate is called Radianz. This network has PoPs in 120 countries and has over 3000 customers connected to it, many of them with multiple connections in different cities. This network is an internetwork because it interconnects the networks of 3000 other organizations. In order to function, this network requires globally unique IP addresses to be used for each of its member networks even though it is not connected to the Internet. The Radianz network is not a private network. It is also not a public network. But it is a SHARED network just like the public Internet. Historically, IANA has always allocated globally unique IP addresses to organizations on this type of shared network. When RFC 2050 was written by authors from the RIRs, including RIPE, they included this text: the organization has no intention of connecting to the Internet-either now or in the future-but it still requires a globally unique IP address. The organization should consider using reserved addresses from RFC1918. If it is determined this is not possible, they can be issued unique (if not Internet routable) IP addresses. Remember that I said "It is OK for RIPE to provide services that are only needed on the Internet, but it is not nice if RIPE would stop providing services to IP users who are not connected to the Internet.". The Radianz global network is not the only internetwork of this type. There are at least 3 other global ones that I have come across, and there are probably many regional ones as well. A very large number of organizations depend on these internetworks, and they would not be terribly happy if ISPs would hijack the entire IP address space for their own profits. But I think that the RIR boards understand this and have no intention of changing the rules to reserve IP addresses only for the public Internet. --Michael Dillon