It appears that Owen DeLong via NANOG <owen@delong.com> said:
>Is there any one of the 5 jurisdictions where RIRs operate that do not define the existing RIR in that jurisdiction as a business?
>
>I know, for example that ARIN is definitely a business by the applicable definition.
ARIN is a Virginia nonstock corporation which has a 501(c)(3) charitable registration with the IRS.
It seems to be a theological argument whether you consider that to be a business. Most definitions
of business include an intention to make a profit, which rules out ARIN.
>I’m less familiar with the legal frameworks and charters of the other three, but I’m pretty sure RIPE NCC
> is a business by the rules there.
RIPE is a non-profit association under Dutch law. LACNIC is a non-profit association under Uruguay law.
Same theological argument.
APNIC is an Australian Pty Ltd so you can make a somewhat stronger argument that it's a business,
although in practice it seems to operate a lot like ARIN, RIPE, and LACNIC.
We put above....
The small anti-RIR folks, think of RIR as book keepers doing some sort of commercial exchange of goods (IPv$) which they consider as a commodity to be traded for direct financial gains.
They both reject the ideals of membership-based cooperation and need-based resource allocation for public use to deliver digital good&services and they instead subscribe to straight up profit based transactions without any digital services provisions.
Therefore its in their best interest to make such claims as RIRs are straight up businesses.
At this point I wouldn't try to guess what Afrinic is.
And nor is Afrinic a Business. Its a cooperation of members limited by guarantee as long as we the guarantors ensure compliance to statutory liabilities inline with the company Act of Mauritius.
The system basically operate as a not-for-profit. It pays debts ( in otherwords taxes) as required by the law and that just about it.
Noah