[gamtab]

Isn’t this all but a big waste of tax payers money…how much does it cost to arrest him, charge him, bring him before the courts and then fine/jail him…how much did his ‘illegal’ wifi access cost the ISP or the owner of the network…
Will this deter other people from accessing a network without permission…I seriously doubt it…
If this is such a fearful and dreadful crime why doesn’t the government educate the people on wifi security steps…what ever happened to those wonderful public service ads from the 50’s??
Better still why not have local municipal free wifi network…oh wait Verison successfully lobbied for a bill to make them illegal…way to go Verison.

[gamtab]

Isn’t this all but a big waste of tax payers money…how much does it cost to arrest him, charge him, bring him before the courts and then fine/jail him…how much did his ‘illegal’ wifi access cost the ISP or the owner of the network…
Will this deter other people from accessing a network without permission…I seriously doubt it…
If this is such a fearful and dreadful crime why doesn’t the government educate the people on wifi security steps…what ever happened to those wonderful public service ads from the 50’s??
Better still why not have local municipal free wifi network…oh wait Verison successfully lobbied for a bill to make them illegal…way to go Verison.

[Steve Jordan]

This case is about paramount to my leaving my front door open and someone walking in and eating my food. They could have done a lot more harm to me, my property and family, but they only made a sandwich. Cause for a fine, sure, but that's about it.

On the other hand, I should have known better than to leave my door unlocked. I should have enough sense to know what can happen, and take appropriate steps to protect myself. I should understand the environment I live in, and know that in a crime-prone area, locking my door is the prudent solution. My leaving my front door open does NOT automatically mean I am inviting thieves in, and theft is theft.

So many of the problems in the computer industry come down to consumers buying and using things that they don't know how to use properly... and because computers are designed to be used in many ways, that opens up opportunities for wifi stealing, spamming, hacking, etc.

If I was a retailer selling hot coffee, and I knew that a particular person is prone to buying coffee and doing something bad with it-- like throwing it on the next guy in line-- I am within my right to not sell that person coffee. Internet providers have the same right to deny access to those who abuse their systems, and they are not afraid to exercise that right.

Consumers need to understand their responsibilities to protect their property, and take appropriate steps, including hiring a professional to secure their connection if they cannot. Otherwise they shouldn't be surprised if, in the future, providers refuse to sell them services that they have shown they cannot secure.

[A_C]

Oh geez its only a internet connection, there are more important crimes going on...

I do it all the time, at work several little shops forget to encrypt/dont know how to turn wep on, so i use their connection, as long as you arent logging into their router and changing connections or stealing data i see no harm.

[maikii]

Also, as some wrote here that using a wifi signal that comes into your home from a neighbor's house is "trespassing", couldn't that signal coming into my home be considered to be "trespassing"? (If one could consider an electronic signal to be trespassing.)

I didn't ask their signal to come into my house. What if it interferes with my radio and TV reception, cordless phone, or my own wi-fi or Bluetooth network? (Has anyone been sued for that?)

I think just as much a case could be made that the person with the home wi-fi network was trespassing, than the fact that someone who had that unsecured signal come into his house without his permission, used it to access the Internet.

[Janak Parekh]

Originally Posted by maikii

Also, as some wrote here that using a wifi signal that comes into your home from a neighbor's house is "trespassing", couldn't that signal coming into my home be considered to be "trespassing"? (If one could consider an electronic signal to be trespassing.)

I didn't ask their signal to come into my house. What if it interferes with my radio and TV reception, cordless phone, or my own wi-fi or Bluetooth network? (Has anyone been sued for that?)

Interference and trespassing are completely different, especially considering that 2.4GHz is an unlicensed "open" band. If you were broadcasting on a restricted band, then that could actually be grounds for criminal persecution.

--janak

[jcmoffitt]

Wow, I did not realize that in some states it is illegal to use an open WAP. I guess I would be in jail myself. That reminds me to check on the laws in SC to make sure I dont wind up with pretty silver bracelets while checking my e-mail when I am away from home.

I think this is very easy to figure out. Something is unlawful when a legislative body determines it is illegal and passes a law stating thus and so. So, if you do the crime (ignorance is no excuse for breaking the law) then you do the time (or pay the fine in this case). LOL... 8O

I also believe that if a home owner or business owner does not want someone to piggy back off of their wifi signal that is extending beyond the physical bounds of their busines or home walls then they should lock that puppy down tight. It only takes 3 to 5 minutes to do it. If you leave the signal out there for folks to connect to you can not expect people not to.

[signothefish]

There's an interesting article on CNN Money about this very topic. Definitely worth a read:

http://money.cnn.com/2005/08/08/tech...racy/index.htm

"To a growing number of Internet piggy-backers, it's the sweet sound of pirating their neighbor's wireless network.

Most new computers are equipped for wireless Internet access, and more and more people are opting for Wi-Fi in their homes. But as the networks become stronger and more prevalent, more of those signals are available outside the home of the subscriber, spilling over into neighbor's apartments, hallways and the street.

Add to this the growing number of cafes and other public "hot spots" that offer Wi-Fi (for wireless fidelity) connections and the ability to buy more powerful antennas that can pick up signals several hundred feet away. The coverage in some places can be pretty near flawless...

Edited by mod JR

[Jeff Rutledge]

Article quote trimmed. Please follow the link above for the remainder of the story.

[Typhoon]

Originally Posted by buss

Interesting debates going on here, but consider it from this standpoint (for the moment ignore moral and ethical, look only at the law). You can protect the network before allowing to spillover into the public domain, (the street). In fact a legal argument could be made that since the owner of the network did not take reasonable steps to close the network, they made an "attractive nuisance” and could be open to tort claims.

A man walking out of a store is carrying a paper shopping bag that is a little over stuffed. I notice that it was so stuffed that a tiny red velvet container falls out of the bag onto the street while he is getting into his car. It is a good thing he didn't notice. I pick it up and put it into my pocket w/out telling him. He should of been more careful because he has just lost a brand new $10k wedding ring. Hey, he had left it in the public domain... its a good thing for arguements like these.