Who Should Own Your IP Address?

First published on 17 April 2025 and updated on 8 June 2026. NRS’s clarifications separate the case for stronger holder rights from today’s registry rules and give the dates of the statistics used.

The supply of unique IPv4 addresses is nearly depleted. However, the debate over the right to own IP addresses is still unsettled. There are only a few court cases worldwide that deal with IP address ownership. As such, this issue remains unclear.

NRS clarification. The court cases above are examples from the time of writing, not a worldwide survey of the law today. IPv4 scarcity does not mean Internet addressing is exhausted: IPv4 supply, transfers of existing resources and IPv6 deployment are different things, as are registration, technical use and legal ownership.

There is a conflict between Regional Internet Registries (RIRs) and organizations that wish to exercise their own property rights over the IP addresses that were assigned to them. These organizations include businesses, universities, and institutions.

This post aims to explore the challenges related to IP address ownership and evaluate the benefits of having the right to own your IP address.

Legacy vs Non-Legacy IP Addresses

IPv4, the version of IP address that is most widely used today, was developed in 1981. Before the structure of the Internet was formalized, the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA), assigned IP addresses without contract or use limitations.

NRS clarification. Early allocation practices differ from today’s contractual system. The origin of a resource alone does not establish that it remains outside every agreement or legal obligation.

There is no legally-binding agreement between IANA and the recipient of those IP addresses. These IP addresses, issued before IANA rolled out formal agreements, are called legacy IP addresses. Around 45% of IPv4 addresses currently in use are legacy IP addresses. Despite the depletion of IPv4 addresses, most of these legacy addresses are currently unused.

NRS clarification. The linked 2010 commentary discusses approximately 44% of IPv4 address space as it stood then, not today’s share of addresses in use, and it does not show that most legacy resources are unused now. Read the figures as a snapshot from 2010.

Established norms regarding the use and ownership of IP addresses began when RIRs were formed. RIRs set the policies on how IP addresses can be used and transferred. IP addresses that were assigned after the formation of RIRs are called non-legacy IP addresses. If your IP address blocks were assigned by an RIR, you own non-legacy IP addresses. You are subject to rules by your RIR over how you can use and transfer your IP assets.

NRS clarification. A resource’s allocation, registration and transfer history, together with its actual agreements, matter. Legacy status alone does not answer every question about current rights.

Policies over how IP assets can be used create a structure on Internet governance. However, there is a tendency for these policies to be non-competitive and stifle growth for businesses.

NRS clarification. This is NRS’s critique of what concentrated registry power does to competition and business growth.

Should You Own Your IP Addresses?

To own your IP address means that:

NRS clarification. The two points that follow describe the stronger rights NRS fights for. They are the goal, not yet the rule in every registry.

- Your IP address cannot be taken from you without just causes.

- You have the right to sell or transfer your IP assets as you deem fit.

With regards to the question of whether you should own your IP address, it seems that RIRs disagree. Beyond being record keepers, RIRs want to maintain their control over policy development and Internet registration. In general, RIRs believe that IP addresses are not assets that can be bought and sold.

NRS clarification. The linked report dates from its time and does not describe a current common position of all five RIRs. The statements about institutional motives are the article’s critique.

Some RIRs believe that they are the only ones in the position and with the expertise to manage IP assets. Although RIRs allow the transfer and sales of IP addresses, such transactions are still subject to restrictions imposed by RIRs.

NRS clarification. Institutional expertise and accountability are separate questions. Actual transactions must be checked against the applicable agreements and policies; the existence of a market does not remove those conditions.

However, many RIRs acknowledge that transfer of ownership is a necessary solution to the scarcity of IP addresses. Some RIRs allow such transfer as long as certain conditions are met. This policy by APNIC is an example.

NRS clarification. APNIC’s published transfer conditions govern recognition of a transfer by that registry. Compliance with a registration procedure does not, by itself, settle property law in every jurisdiction.

Some experts argue that IPv4 ownership is beneficial as these resources have reached their exhaustion. Being able to sell and lease IP addresses will open new opportunities for businesses that need to connect to the Internet.

NRS clarification. Clearer rights can encourage circulation, which is NRS’s argument; prices, supply and individual transactions still depend on the market and on current policy.

Reclaiming Unused IP Addresses

While the world is running out of IPv4s, it's ironic that almost half of all these resources remain unused by legacy owners. RIRs have put efforts into reclaiming unused legacy addresses.

NRS clarification. No current global measurement supports the “almost half” claim, and absence from an observation sample does not prove that an address is unused or has no rights holder. ARIN’s return guidance does not require organizations to return unused number resources, and that is one registry’s guidance, not a worldwide rule.

Many organizations who hoard a large volume of these rare resources refuse to declare their ownership for fear of losing them. Ultimately, RIRs have little control over the IP addresses that were assigned before they were established.

NRS clarification. The fear and non-disclosure described here are the incentives the system creates, not a claim that every legacy holder hoards or conceals resources. Registry powers depend on the specific resource, agreement and procedure.

While legacy IP addresses remain unclaimed, having more rights over your IP addresses might alleviate some of the pressures of IPv4 exhaustion.

NRS clarification. Unused resources, incomplete registration data and resources with no rights holder are different situations. One must not be inferred solely from another.

In conclusion, the world is running out of IPv4s. However, most legacy IPv4s are still unused. Giving businesses the right to own their IPs, and transfer ownership as they deem fit, can help ease the problems brought about by IPv4 exhaustion.

NRS clarification. Whether most legacy resources remain unused is not something current statistics settle. NRS advocates more stable holding and clearer transfer and leasing rights to reduce uncertainty and encourage circulation; that is the policy goal, alongside IPv6 deployment rather than instead of it.

Rights that holders can actually exercise

• Stable holding: understand the conditions for continued use, the grounds for a challenge and how to defend your rights.
• Resource circulation: put stronger transfer and leasing rights into applicable rules and agreements, beyond simply calling addresses assets.
• Participation: holders who bear the business risks should have a voice in the policies and governance that affect them.

Sources

ARIN explains the background to legacy resources, and its return guidance does not require the return of unused resources. APNIC sets out transfer conditions. These are institution-specific rules, not a universal definition of ownership. The article’s own citations are in place so you can trace the argument.

From understanding your rights to taking part

NRS Shield is where operators turn individual risk into collective strength, and a Power of Attorney is how you give NRS the authority to act for your network.