Dear Lu, all, We would like to respond to the statements you have made, here on the RIPE mailing list and at our General Meeting which took place on Wednesday. You commented that a lawsuit “could potentially cost millions”, and that we could "get out of this pretty easily" by allowing Internet number portability. For the record, the lawsuit you have threatened regards our decision not to accept sponsorship from you for the RIPE 90 Meeting. Of course, we disagree with the statements you have made. And we make the following statement in reply. The RIRs play a crucial role in ensuring the uniqueness of Internet number resources, which is essential for ensuring the operation and stability of the Internet. This role requires an authoritative source to prevent conflicts and overlaps in address allocations. In filling this role for our region as the RIPE NCC we make great efforts to maintain robust corporate governance with high levels of transparency. The RIR system has been developed by the technical community over more than three decades, through a process of open, transparent and bottom-up dialogue and policy development. Any significant changes to this system or the way we operate should be worked out through this well-established community process. We would also like to clarify that IP addresses are not property. This is reflected in the RIPE NCC Standard Service Agreement: “10.2 The Member acknowledges and agrees that the registration of Internet Number Resources does not constitute property and the registration of Internet Number Resources in the name of the Member or a third party does not confer upon the Member or the third party any rights of ownership. The Member acknowledges that any Internet Number Resources deregistered by the RIPE NCC may be re-registered to another party according to the RIPE Policies.” Let us be very clear - we stand behind doing the right thing for our members and community. A public statement was made that a legal threat regarding event sponsorship will go away if the RIR system accommodates someone’s personal interests. We believe that this legal threat is made without any solid basis and is intended merely to force the hand of the RIPE NCC in an aggressive manner. We suggest that if you believe the RIRs should implement number resource portability in a way that is not currently allowed by the existing policies, then you should follow the existing and well-established community policy processes that have allowed the RIRs to operate for many years in service to the wishes of their respective communities. Regards, Hans Petter Holen Managing Director, CEO RIPE NCC