Court Says Customers May Take IPs Away From ISP

Jeremy Kister writes "According to a post on the North American Network Operators Group mailing-list, The State of New Jersey has issued a temporary restraining order, allowing a former customer of Net Access Corporation (NAC) to take non-portable IP Address space (issued from ARIN), away from NAC." The post argues: "This is a matter is of great importance to the entire Internet community. This type of precedent is very dangerous. If this ruling is upheld it has the potential to disrupt routing throughout the Internet, and change practices of business for any Internet Service Provider."

Cool!

[SpanishInquisition]

Now I can be banned from Slashdot wherever I go!

Portable numbers

[deuist]

In other news, the U.S. Post Office is letting users keep their zip codes when they move.

Ineresting...

[Captain Rotundo]

I can see how this is good from both sides. Obviously existing IP practice and whatnot makes this very bad, But its also a little bit of consumer freedom, akin to telephone number portability.

Maybe someone forgot to explain to the judge how the system works? or maybe he just didn't care based on this case?

Holy flurkin schnit!

[JasonUCF]

Anybody in that judge's hometown that can give him a cluestick for the 4th of July? It's almost like he thought:

"Huh. IP Address. 172.24.50.24. Huh. Looks like a phone number! Aha! IP Number thingies make people able to call this guy's computer. Hot diggity, it's a phone number, I'm going to get my name in some law books! HEeeeeeyawwww!"

(Ok, so I don't really know if the judge grew up in [redacted], but still.. geeez)

Next thing you know we'll be taking our postal mailboxes with us.

Re:they should get a clue

[tehcyder]

221b Baker Street would be cooler.

Re:Ouch... Keep your IP?

[freeduke]

Everytime I buy a new computer, I sue the NIC manufacturer to give me the same MAC address as my old one.

When rules are for the others, is there any rule left?

IP and phone numbers

[tod_miller]

It isn't really that crazy.

IP addresses are like phone numbers. Except on the other end, there can be anything. In fact the Internet used to run by dialing the exact computer you wanted to talk to didn't it? Or was that pre-Internet? I am too young to remember :-)

I say we hope he is a bit slow, and let him keep 1 class B and on class D address, two for the price of one.

May I recommend 192.168.*.* and 127.0.0.1

He can have them! :-)

Re:Not like phone numbers

[RevAaron]

I think that it is probable (and clearly this is the case with the Judge) that most people think of IP addresses like phone numbers, which of course is not the case.

Crap, you're right. Maybe this is *my* fault!

I work a university helpdesk. And when non-savvy people call, I often use a metaphor- IP as phone-number, DNS server as phonebook, hostname as real name in phonebook- to describe why something isn't jiving on their computer. Maybe this judge called me up at some point. Whoops, sorry guys!

Re:Cool!

[JeanBaptiste]

Yep!

i find it funny when im banned... but can still use my mod points...

sucks that so many people come through the same gateway. someone in this office must belong to the GNAA..... i have my suspicions....

Vanity Zip Codes

[parallax7d]

As covered by NPR [npr.org]

Re:Cool!

[Ignignot]

I too, have been "forced" to post /. stories from work. It has nothing to do with the fact that I'm a shiftless slacker - ack here comes my boss!

Re:The risks...

[orthogonal]

This has got to rank right up there with the Indiana legislature deliberating whether pi should be declared to be 3, back in 1897. At least they had the wisdom not to do it.

Wait a sec. You're sure pi's does not equal to three?

No wonder I can't get this stupid wheel to work!

Damn Indiana legislature technical specifications!

Bahh humbug.

[pklong]

I don't know what all the fuss is about, I've taken 127.0.0.1 with me wherever I go for years ;)

More on this...

[telstar]

I'll be moving in a few months ... I'd like to take the following things with me when I move:

• The next-door neighbor. She's cute, and I deserve access to the same when I move.
• Hot water. It's included in my current apartment. I shouldn't have to start paying when I move.
• The wireless internet connection I've been sniffing for the past 5 months. It better have the same strength too.
• The fruit-stand on the corner on my way to work? Bringing it with me ...
• My mailing address ... It's been mine for a few years... I'm liberating it from the future owner and claiming it as my own.

I'm hoping for all sorts of portability...

[gearmonger]

I'm thinking of moving from New York to California, and I'd like to take ALL my information with me, including:
my home IP address
my telephone numbers, including area code
my full mailing address
my global coordinates (latitude and longitude)
and my land (physical property). What's the address of this judge? I need to go talk to him.

Re:they should get a clue

[byolinux]

It's not like someone you knew ten years ago is going to try to contact you on that IP..

You insenstive clod! Most of my friends don't have DNS, they can only use IP addresses. If my IP changes, they'll be unable to get their email!

Next you'll be telling me that bang path email addresses aren't cool, either!

Re:Cool!

[ScuzzMonkey]

You're already being forced to jump through hoops... I think he's just suggesting you install ramps. :)

I am moving, please let me take my GPS co-od!

[takochan]

Your honor,

I am moving, please tell the govt to let me take my GPS co-ordinates with me!

doh...

Re:It just goes to show you...

[Nintendork]

Would the same judge rule that someone can take their street address with them when they move?

-Lucas

Re:The risks...

[morcheeba]

Bring that wheel to North Carolina! The roads here are especially designed to be traveled on by 6.00 radian wheels -- the potholes are purposely laid down in that other 0.28 radian section. So, not only is math class easier for the slow kids, but we save 4.45% of highway construction costs!

(of course, out-of-staters with their fancy 6.28 radian tires will experience substantial bumps when travelling our roads)

Re:Cool!

[ArsonSmith]

I'd want to keep 86.75.30.9 as well. It's the ip address for jenny.com.

Court Says Customers May Take Postal Adrs Too!

[hoggoth]

This Just In:

The court has just declared that customers may also take their postal addresses with them when they move.
So now if your customers, friends, and relatives have come to know your address as "1010 Elwood Drive" and you move across town or to a new city, you can bring the address with you to avoid confusion! Isn't that great!?

Soon each building, or even each office or apartment within a building will have it's own completely unique address without regard to where it is physically located.

We should make judges and lawyers in charge of more things so we can get great conveniences like this in all our life!

Re:they should get a clue

[multiplexo]

I'm sure the state of New Jersey will legislate a higher speed of light to get around this problem, but that's not going to fix it for the rest of us...

Now if we could just get them to legislate pi to be 3.0, hell, while they're at it they could round up the value of e to 3.0 to. It would make life a lot easier, fewer constants that are easier to remember.

Re:they should get a clue

[Pharmboy]

People can take their cell phone numbers with them so now they want to take everything with them.

If I get divorced, can I keep the pussy? I mean, it would be really inconvenient to find new, and quite expensive, especially after the expense of a divorce. I already paid for it several times over the years, and I only need it a few minutes a week, so my request should considered quite fair considering the alternative.

Offensive, yea, but it still makes the point. Or as my wife would say "You're old enough for your wants not to hurt you."

Re:Cool!

[OrbNobz]

So since Slashdot seems to have banned my whole ISP, maybe soon I'll be able to find another IP address so I can post on Slashdot on evenings and weekends?

Wait! Your company let's you go home evenings and weekends?

That *is* cool!

- OrbNobz
...... (Magnified 500x -> "This is the world's smallest sig!")