Who owns and operates Internet Relay Chat?
No one owns Internet Relay Chat as a whole. The software required to run and IRC network is freely available. Dedicated users, Internet Service Providers, and other organizations use this free software to set up their own IRC networks and allow others to connect. When you connect to an IRC server, the first thing you’ll usually see is a Message of the Day, which typically contains information about the persons or organization who operating the network/server you’re about to chat on. The hierarchy of an IRC network is very similar to that of an IRC channel. The owners of an IRC server have the power to maintain order by disconnecting and banning users from the service, and can also deputize others as “IRC Ops” to do the same.
