Legal Definitions - Internet-protocol address

An Internet-protocol address (often shortened to IP address) is a unique numerical label assigned to every device participating in a computer network that uses the Internet Protocol for communication. It serves as an identifier for a device on the network and specifies its location, allowing data to be sent to and received from it. Essentially, it's like a digital street address for a device connected to the internet or a local network.

• Example 1: Visiting a Website

  When you type "www.examplewebsite.com" into your web browser, your computer doesn't directly look for "examplewebsite.com." Instead, it sends a request to a Domain Name System (DNS) server, which translates the human-readable domain name into its corresponding IP address (e.g., 192.0.2.1). This IP address then tells your computer the exact digital location of the server hosting the "examplewebsite.com" content, allowing your browser to connect to it and display the webpage.

• Example 2: Streaming Content from a Smart TV

  Imagine you want to stream a movie on your smart TV using a popular streaming service app. Your smart TV, connected to your home Wi-Fi network, needs to communicate with the streaming service's servers over the internet. Your smart TV has its own unique IP address within your home network, and it uses the IP address of the streaming service's server to send requests for video data. The streaming service's server, in turn, uses your TV's IP address to send the movie data back to your specific device, ensuring the correct TV receives the stream.

• Example 3: Sending an Email

  When you compose and send an email to a friend, your email client (such as Outlook or Gmail) connects to your email provider's server. This server then needs to send the email to your friend's email provider's server, which eventually delivers it to your friend's inbox. Each email server involved in this transmission has a unique IP address. Your email provider's server uses the IP address of your friend's email provider's server to route the email across the internet, ensuring the email data packets are directed to the correct destination server, much like a postal service uses street addresses to deliver physical mail.