A Michigan man has been arrested and WILL BE PROSECUTED for using a coffee joint's free Wi-Fi network from his car without buying anything. The man says he didn't realize he did anything illegal until he was cuffed (nor did the cafe owner or even the police officer). Prosecutors believe him, so they're letting him off easy with a $400 fine and 40 hours of community service.
11:39 AM * PERMALINK * 11 comments
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Comments:
I love America, home of the free.
Wait, what?
It should only be illegal if the site is encrypted and the user broke the encryption. Using un-encrypted wifi is no diferent than scooping up water from your neighbor's hose when it spills into your yard. What a stupid city to prosecute this man.
I read this last night in my newspaper. The town is Sparta where I live. It looks like he will have to pay a $400 fine and do 40 hours of public service. The gentleman said he only checked email during lunch, but will now leave his computer at home so he don't get into trouble. :)
Humm, not a fan of free WiFi being somehow not free, if it leaks off the defined area of the service.
If the shop's wifi is in the parking lot, and unencripted, its a broadcast. How can you restrict it?
If he had hacked into an encrypted system, that is a different story.
You imply an interesting point. If our bodies are being penetrated by Wi-Fi radiaion:
http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/news/index.cfm?newsid=9204
and if they're using the "airways," which are by law public, then shouldn't anyone who provides Wi-Fi be forced to make it free and public?
Putting it another way: If some night-club hires a band, and the sound of that band is easily heard on the street, should people standing on the sidewalk listening be arrested for "stealing" access to the music?
Mike
Maybe the WiFi is free but the Internet access isn't so as long as you're only talking to people in the coffee shop... :)
I don't like the "if it's not encrypted" argument, that's tantamount to saying "if your house is unlocked I can borrow what I want". But without a ToU screen saying "this network is for coffeeshop customers only" (encryption or no) it should be comparable to using a space in the parking lot - the owner should have the right to restrict access to non-customers if he wants. But since the owner wasn't even aware that this was illegal this wasn't the case here.
In before references to Frank Miller's "300."
Mike, did you even read my comment about the water from the neighbor's yard? Your argument is the same as mine, but you write yours as if I had written nothing.
The average joe may not even be aware he is using someone else's wifi at times... especially if a neighbouring business has an open connection - many folks dont understand enough to know which SSID to pick when setting themselves up. It's all a lot of bull. I love the bit where the cop says "duh... I know some law was being broken.. just didn't know which one". I mean, if the cops don't quite get it...
I cannot believe that someone can be arrested when the police officer isn't even sure of what law was broken. That is just about the most stupid thing I've ever heard of. Where did the town find this cop, Mayberry?
While I do think the fact he was arrested and fined is overboard, I also think that if he is going to use a cafes free wifi he should at least buy something. I spend many hours at my local Panera and I am happy to buy lunch and snacks, and not be a free loader.
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