European Data in the InterNIC Database

Dear Mark,

as you know the RIPE community has a long standing concern about the
consistency of the information available from the InterNIC whois service
and the RIPE NCC whois service.  The information describing European
entities in the RIPE database is consistently found to be more
up-to-date than data registered at the InterNIC.  Both the InterNIC and
the RIPE NCC have been trying to get the exchange of information to work
for more than three years with little success due to lack of resources
on both sides. 

At the same time we observe an increasing number of instances where data
about European entities obtained to the InterNIC whois service is
causing confusion and delays in Internet trouble shooting.  Some of this
is due to new and relatively unexperienced NOC staff in many places.
Today it becomes extremely important that people are referred to the 
correct information.

The RIPE local-IR working group has discussed this problem at its recent
meeting in Berlin.  Since making our databases consistent has not worked
despite our long standing intentions, the RIPE community now asks you to
remove data describing European entities from the InterNIC database as
soon as possible.  The InterNIC whois server should not return data and
contact info about these. 

Most importantly this concerns address space information of

  192.162.0.0 - 192.162.255.255
  192.164.0.0 - 192.168.255.255
  193.0.0.0   - 195.255.255.255

and AS number information of

  1877 - 1901
  2043 
  2047 
  2107 - 2136 
  2585 - 2614 
  2773 - 2822
  2830 - 2879
  3154 - 3353 
  5377 - 5631

If possible the InterNIC whois server should return a text pointing to
whois.ripe.net if these objects are queried.  It should never return
more specific data.  Could you please inform us when this will be
implemented.  

We hope that you understand the importance of this to the smooth
operation of the Internet as a whole.  This request is not intended as a
critique on the InterNIC's services or staff.  It is just a logical
consequence of the existence of multiple regional Internet registries
and the difficulties in creating a globally synchronised database. 
I hope that after all we will succeed in achieveing  such a global
database, but until then we have to take measures to prevent confusion.

Thank you in advance for your help with this issue.

Daniel