Man arrested for using free Wi-Fi

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Pinto Girl @ May 24 2007, 02:13 PM) [snapback]449193[/snapback]</div>

Well thats the best answer yet Pinto !!!! B)

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(larkinmj @ May 23 2007, 11:36 AM) [snapback]448292[/snapback]</div>

Exactly what "law" was this person breaking?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(eagle33199 @ May 25 2007, 08:08 AM) [snapback]449709[/snapback]</div>

The wiring codes are covered under the national electrical code, in addition local states, cities, and yes even an individual property owner can set more restrictive codes. A prime example is in fact the low voltage wiring for a data circuit. According to the NEC, low voltage wiring does not need to be run in conduit, but the MSP airport is more restrictive and requires it. Minneapolis requires conduit for any of your house wiring that is below grade, but here in Belle Plaine, it's OK. Minnesota wiring code only requires ground fault breakers in outdoor and circuits near water, but as long as I own our house, they are also required in all basement circuits. And your local Caribou coffee shop will probably not let you dangle a cat 5 out their door and down the street.

Now for how it's different from running a cable from Benchwarmer Bobs to your house, it's all in the licensing. When you subscribe to cable or DBS, you pay a fee for use of that signal in a single family dwelling. Joe Sensor's and O'Garra's pay a much higher fee for that cable for its use in a public place, same holds true for a hotel, motel, etc. It's a bit like buying a CD or DVD, buying that disk gives you the right to watch/listen to its content, you can under the fair use clause, make a backup or working copy of that disk for your own use or copy it to your Ipod, but you cannot burn a copy and sell or even give it to someone else.

Your internet connection however is quite different. You are paying your ISP for the use of one public IP address. What you do with that address is up to you, if you want to put up a wifi signal that's free for everyone to use, that's up to you. There's an interesting side note to this whole thing, as DSL and cable broadband first started coming out, there were some ISP's that wanted to restrict the number of computers that could be connected to a single IP. They quickly realised that a policy like this would be impossible to enforce, so it was dropped. The other obvious thing is wouldn't the ISP's be afraid of losing business due to people sharing? Well perhaps some but Pinto Girl allready stated why they wouldn't lose much, get too many people piping traffic through a single IP address will slow things down quite quickly.

 

Public places like coffee shops pay more for their internet, just as they do for their cable.

And as a point of interest, the terms of use agreement for Comcast (which is who provides my internet) clearly states:

So by paying for the internet, you are paying for the use in your household, and the licensing clearly states that it's prohibited to provide the service to anyone outside the premises. While i don't know the details for every ISP, i can guarantee you all of them have something similar to the above.

So as far as the licensing for cable prevents you from running the cable from your neighbors, so too does the licensing for your internet connection.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(bestmapman @ May 24 2007, 03:16 AM) [snapback]448910[/snapback]</div>

You guys have it all wrong, its not theft from the neighbor, but from the cable company. They are the ones pushing for the civil fines for stealing the signal, because you are stealing the subscription fee they would charge you for the service.

In the case of wifi service, the business providing it has the right to limit it to only their customers. The community has the right to pass laws making it illegal for someone to sit in a car and "sniff" signals in order to catch the kind of guys that have stolen over 45 MILLION credit card numbers that way.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(koa @ May 23 2007, 03:08 PM) [snapback]448390[/snapback]</div>

I do this regularly...there is a fast food chain near my work, and about 3 times per week I actually purchase something from them (a meal, not just a token). They have a sign that says "Free WiFi" and next time I will read the details so see what the fine print says, but nearly everyday I stop to check my email.

I am a regular customer and I guess I should start saving my receipts just in case a cop comes by...I live in MI.

 

If my laptop were open and on when I pulled up to that coffee shop, inside about 30 seconds, my green light would come on and I'd be browsing for having done nothing.

I should do that, then sue them for connecting to my laptop without my permission, I have no idea what their intentions are for connecting to my laptop... in this case providing a signal that my laptop automatically connects to without getting my permission. As a business owner, they should know that laptops like mine will automatically connect and they are creating a dangerous environment.

On the other hand, I've NEVER had my laptop automatically run a Cat5 line into the back of any coffee shop and connect.

 

Why don't those prosecutors go after some real criminals like all the people who read magazines in Borders Book Stores and leave without buying them? They are stealing the content of the magazine without paying for it.

 

Regardless of the legalities, people can, and will, connect to open APs (access points). There is a whole online community that tracks APs, and there are people that drive around collecting the info. Until people care enough or become aware to protect their APs, it's just gonna keep happening. I don't think the responsibility should rest on our local authorities to enforce access rights. Society needs to adjust to new technologies, not break out the iron fist.

 

what about if its set to connect to non-preferred networks, and it automatically connects is it necessarily the guys fault?

ive thought about this a lot, like whats the purpose of prosecuting someone for this if the person doesnt really know much.

 

So many people are going on about how their computer "automatically" connects without them doing anything... That's not true, though. At some point since you bought your computer, you've checked a box that tells it to automatically connect to any network it can. You've intentionally set it up to do this, it took effort on your part (even if it was just clicking OK on a pop up window).

 

oops, double post

 

Here you go!

Florida State Statutes:

Note other states are starting to adopt this same type of statute to protect other citizens as well..

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(hycamguy07 @ May 29 2007, 11:22 AM) [snapback]451470[/snapback]</div>

If it's marked "free", then there's your authorization.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Tyrin @ May 29 2007, 12:30 PM) [snapback]451474[/snapback]</div>

"FREE with a catch" your a paying customer......

I know here in Florida any retail establishment has the right to refuse service to anyone.

Again here its been made a state law. Argue what you will, no matter how juvenile it makes you look until you prove your case in court. Your still going to get arrested & your car impounded until your arrainment & you post bail.

Heck you mite even get YOUR NAME in the local paper :lol:

'Eagle33199' ,says it best below;

 

It didn't sound like the coffee shop owner had a choice whether the man was prosecuted or not. I thought I read something that said she didn't want to press charges. If the coffee shop is providing the "free" service then they should have the right to decide if the man should have been charged. Isn't it up to the store whether they will prosecute a shoplifter?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(koa @ May 29 2007, 01:27 PM) [snapback]451525[/snapback]</div>

Yes this would be true if the employee owned the shop, however if its just the employee stating they didnt want to press charges but the comapny dist mgr. or owner does want to prosecute then its fair game but after the person has been arrested its up to the State Attorneys Office to follow thru with the case even if the business decides to not press charges...