[LACNIC/Politicas] [LACNIC / Policies] New proposal LAC-2021-2 / Nova proposta LAC-2021-2 / New proposal LAC-2021-2

[Erik Bais]

Hi,  

This policy idea came to my attention, especially since it mentioned RIPE policy.. and retaining rights.. 
I can't read the complete policy discussion as it is in Spanish, but I hope that I can provide some insight here. 

My name is Erik Bais and I am currently co-chair for Address policy working group (AP-WG) in the RIPE region.  ( stating this as experience, not stating that I'm writing this on behalf of the RIPE community or as AP-WG Co-chair ) 
I've written multiple RIPE policies, mostly around resource transfers, but also about IPv6, RPKI and other topics.  

As an author of policy text, the RIPE community doesn't grand or the RIPE NCC doesn't grand 'RIGHTS' to the author. 
If the author of the proposed text isn't able to obtain consensus, it is possible for someone else to restart a new proposal and see if that would get the consensus of the community. 

It isn't common that policy proposals are written in such a way that it changes small items .. or even copied proposed text or idea's. 

Probably one of the reasons why that is the case, is because we as co-Chairs, ask the proposers to first check with the WG (on the mailing list) to see if their idea would even work or get consensus. 

Yes it is not uncommon that some idea is send to the mailing list .. and there is a lot of pushback .. or even a shared idea about how it could work other than the proposal / idea from the proposer ... 
By doing such a small step, it will allow the audience / the WG, to get adjusted to the idea, provide feedback and before the initial 0.1 version is send as a policy proposal, it will already be better than just sending a proposal that was created without feedback from the community. 

On the topic of Rights.. before publication, the proposer is asked to waive ANY rights via a text set by the legal department of the RIPE NCC. 
The reason being is that the proposer can't limit or restrict access to the policy or contributions and that the proposer waives any economic rights or
demand any compensation for doing any work on the policy proposal. And that any contribution can be changed or deleted in the future ... 

The work in proposing policies in the community is unpaid and for the good of the internet and it isn't in the spirit of the RIPE community that an author / proposer will obtain or retain rights to text or policy ideas. 

I hope that this clarifies how the RIPE community is dealing with this in PDP.  
I would be strongly against a said suggestion to provide rights to a policy author in any RIR. 

Regards,
Erik Bais
Internet citizen