From owner-freebsd-isp Mon Dec 2 02:21:49 1996 Return-Path: owner-isp Received: (from root@localhost) by freefall.freebsd.org (8.7.5/8.7.3) id CAA14519 for isp-outgoing; Mon, 2 Dec 1996 02:21:49 -0800 (PST) Received: from red.jnx.com (red.jnx.com [208.197.169.254]) by freefall.freebsd.org (8.7.5/8.7.3) with ESMTP id CAA14514 for ; Mon, 2 Dec 1996 02:21:44 -0800 (PST) Received: from chimp.jnx.com (chimp.jnx.com [208.197.169.246]) by red.jnx.com (8.8.3/8.8.3) with ESMTP id CAA01841; Mon, 2 Dec 1996 02:21:13 -0800 (PST) Received: (from tli@localhost) by chimp.jnx.com (8.7.6/8.7.3) id CAA12280; Mon, 2 Dec 1996 02:21:05 -0800 (PST) Date: Mon, 2 Dec 1996 02:21:05 -0800 (PST) Message-Id: <199612021021.CAA12280@chimp.jnx.com> From: Tony Li To: john@gateway.net.hk (John Beukema) cc: freebsd-isp@freebsd.org Subject: Re: IP number ownership References: Sender: owner-isp@freebsd.org X-Loop: FreeBSD.org Precedence: bulk Is an existing IP number assignment (class b or /16) to an ISP 'property' in that it cannot be taken away even after a change in control of the ISP? I have been through all the internic.net materials and still do not have an answer. John, An IP address assignment is not 'property': you do not have full property rights, for example. The NIC and its delegates are supposed to periodically scan the address space to insure that any assignment that you've been granted is in fact in use. If not, it can request that you relinquish your prefix. Alternately, if you do not respond at all, the NIC may conclude that you've died a silent death and may reassign your prefix. However, a prefix IS a resource. It can be traded, sold, bought or exchanged. Routing the prefix is the hard part, and the value of a particular prefix in part depends on its routability. A /16 is universally routable -- a /32 is not. Tony