今天有則令人驚訝的新聞，微軟花了750萬美金買了66萬多個IPv4 address，這些address來自於宣告破產的網路設備商 Notel Networks，有科技概念的法院認定日漸減少的IPv4 address具有價值，而且這個價值可能因為IPv6越來越普及而降低。
Because of the limited supply of IPv4 addresses, there is currently an opportunity to realize value from marketing the Internet Numbers, which opportunity will diminish over time as IPv6 addresses are more widely adopted.
一共有4家公司願意出資整包買下Notel的IPv4位址，而微軟是出價最高者，這也是今年2月IANA公布IPv4全數發放完畢後第一次公開的IPv4位址出售訊息。如果以微軟出的價來算整個IPv4 address 的價值，大概是480億美金左右，很大的一筆錢咧~ 台灣許多手上握有眾多IPv4 address 的大學們，不知道有沒有開始準備開價了?
比較覺得奇怪的是，ARIN的IP 管理政策ARIN Number Resource Policy Manual中，針對IP address 的移轉原則(8)規定明明是說:
在ARIN的管理下，號碼資源是不可以被買賣，而是被分配給某個組織，用於其提出資源要求時所陳述之目的....... 若一家公司無論何種原因結束營業，名列在該公司的數字資源聯絡窗口並無任何權限販售、移轉、分配、或給予號碼資源予其他人或組織。當組織不再營運，聯絡窗口必須通知ARIN，若移轉沒有被提出或確認，這些被分配出去的網路資源將回到可用的網址池中。
8.1. Principles
..... It should be understood that number resources are not 'sold' under ARIN administration. Rather, number resources are assigned to an organization for its exclusive use for the purpose stated in the request, provided the terms of the Registration Services Agreement continue to be met and the stated purpose for the number resources remains the same.......
...... if a company goes out of business, regardless of the reason, the point of contact (POC) listed for the number resource does not have the authority to sell, transfer, assign, or give the number resource to any other person or organization. The POC must notify ARIN if a business fails so the assigned number resources can be returned to the available pool of number resources if a transfer is not requested and justified.
或者因為Notel的IPv4 address 不是來自於ARIN或其他的RIR，而是在RIR成立前所拿到的歷史IPv4 address ??
原始報導 : Microsoft spends $7.5m on IP addresses
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