Only 8 organizations actually "own" IP addresses (AT&T, Apple, Ford, Cogent, Prudential Insurance, USPS, Comcast, US DoD). Almost all of IPv4 is allocated by I

Only 8 organizations actually "own" IP addresses (AT&T, Apple, Ford, Cogent, Prudential Insurance, USPS, Comcast, US DoD). Almost all of IPv4 is allocated by IANA to Regional Internet Registries that in turn allocate them to customers like Google and Verizon. You pay yearly maintenance fees to keep the addresses assigned to you.