<div dir="ltr"><br><br><div class="gmail_quote">2008/7/29 Brad DerManouelian <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:myth@dermanouelian.com">myth@dermanouelian.com</a>></span><br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">
<div class="Ih2E3d">On Jul 29, 2008, at 4:03 AM, Steve Hill wrote:<br>
<br>
> On Tue, 29 Jul 2008, Andrew Williams wrote:<br>
><br>
>> It's almost along the same lines of<br>
>> the open Wifi argument, the signals are on my property and open so<br>
>> why<br>
>> can't I use them legally? Again, theft of services.<br>
><br>
> Well no, using a free wireless hotspot is not "theft of services" (and<br>
> yes, people _do_ provide legitimate free wireless hotspots). The<br>
> 802.11<br>
> protocol even provides a method of telling people whether you are<br>
> providing a free hotspot or are running a private network - the<br>
> problem is<br>
> that some people set their router to advertise itself as a public<br>
> network<br>
> and then complain when people use it as advertised.<br>
<br>
</div><a href="http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,276720,00.html" target="_blank">http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,276720,00.html</a><br>
This isn't the first time it's happened, either.<br>
</blockquote><div><br>That is an American story though, this discussion is about virgin media in the UK, the laws of the US don't apply, it's a different country.<br><br>However, the UK police/judiciary are just as stupid....<br>
<br><a href="http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/02/21/wi_fi_squatting_arrests/">http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/02/21/wi_fi_squatting_arrests/</a><br><br>Mind you, that doesn't mention if any charges were actually brought, merely that he was arrested.<br>
<br>Ian<br><br></div></div><br></div>