Allocation of IP Addresses

Fri Mar 15 21:02:02 UTC 1996

>From:  Perry E. Metzger[SMTP:perry at piermont.com]
>
>Jim Browning writes:
>> DeBeers has controlled (or at least significantly influenced) the price 
of
>> diamonds for decades, ensuring that they appreciate in value by 
controlling
>> supply, and by buying diamonds on the wholesale market to keep the price 
up
>> (similar to what countries do to protect their currencies).  They could
>> flood the market at any time, driving the price down dramatically.  Of
>> course this isn't in their best interest, so they won't do it.  However
>> Russia might, as they have stockpiled large quantities of diamonds, and 
may
>> not have the same goal as DeBeers...
>
>So in what way is this a demonstration of a monopoly able to
>arbitrarily raise prices? What you've shown is that someone might be
>able to arbitrarily drop prices...


The price has been artificially raised through the years by controlling 
supply, and it is only a government (the former USSR) which has (to the 
best of my knowledge) threatened DeBeers control.
--
Jim Browning