Independent space from ARIN

Tue Apr 15 01:35:26 UTC 2003

      On Mon, 14 Apr 2003, Stephen Sprunk wrote:
    > That's why RIRs lease addresses to you, not sell them -- they get to keep
    > collecting money forever even if they do no additional work.

RIRs _allocate_ addresses, meaning that they provide the _service_ of
_registering uniqueness_.  You pay a _membership fee_ to support the
ongoing operation of the registry, and allow it to continue providing you
with the _service of uniqueness_ for your addresses.

You don't buy them, you don't lease them.  You buy the service of the
RIR's maintenance of a database which ensures unique allocations.

                                -Bill