On Thu, Dec 1, 2011 at 10:04 PM, Michael R. Wayne <wa...@staff.msen.com> wrote: > From > http://www.detnews.com/article/20111201/BIZ/112010483/1361/Borders-selling-Internet-addresses-for-$786-000 > Borders selling Internet addresses for $786,000
Your IP address is an "asset" like the office you rent to setup a business in. Happening to be the occupant gives you certain rights, but it doesn't automatically make the space some property that the occupant automatically gains ownership of. If your lease permits it, you can probably re-sell your right to occupy the space, so long as the lease says you can do that, and you follow all the terms and requirements agreed upon. So there's no issue with Borders "selling" addresses, so long as the proper policies are being followed for transfer of addresses. What underlies all the "occupants" of IP address space, are agreements with IP address registries, and the community, to provide unique usage of IP addresses. The existence of unique IP addresses exist only because of the community and the address registries' efforts; the community "owns" the uniqueness of IP addresses, which is a kind of intangible property, because they built this, and you own what you build. That is... uniqueness of IP address entries in an address registry you operate doesn't happen by accident. -- -JH
