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Busted For Using Library Wi-Fi Outside The Library

Posted by timothy on from the salt-lake-city-burger-king dept.

sevej writes "Keith Shaw, in his weekly column "Wireless Computing Devices" (Network World Fusion), reported on a recent entry in AKMA's Random Thoughts where AKMA was using a public WiFi network outside of a library. A policeman approached him and asked that he only access the Internet from within the Library and hinted that Federal Laws against "signal theft" were applicable. Oh, and btw, we're not talking about a person that looked like your stereotypical 'hacker'; AKMA is an ordained priest."

8 of 746 comments (clear)

  1. How did they know? by freitasm · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I wonder how the police officee knew the priest was using wi-fi? A wi-fi sniffer or something like this?

    1. Re:How did they know? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

      The key point isn't how they knew. The question is, how are YOU supposed to know if the access point owner does not want you to use the signal where it is technically available? After all there are lots of hotspots where the owner wants to provide internet access to public areas outside of buildings.

  2. signal theft ? by mirko · · Score: 4, Interesting

    The signal itself was not stolen, it was the receiver's bandwidth.
    Now, had they secured their Airport, they would not had it vampirized.
    And I am not sure the inside/outside concept applies to a radio signal...

    --
    Trolling using another account since 2005.
  3. Public Rights by Agret · · Score: 5, Interesting

    He should have replied that since it was a public access point that he was in his rights to use it in a public area (namely outside the library)

    "A policeman approached him and asked that he only access the Internet from within the Library"
    What if the guy wasn't using the Internet but was editing his site and was looking at the preview? (this was not the case but what if)

    --
    Have you metaroderated recently?
    1. Re:Public Rights by ecalkin · · Score: 4, Interesting

      ...Because this is unlicensed spectrum. If the library has a desire that access be from inside the library only, they should actions provide this. Access/security protocols or radio blocking walls/wallpaper/partitions.

      I feel no sorrow for the library. I hope the lawyers get involved and that the library and police face penalties for this.

      eric

  4. Look?? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Oh, and btw, we're not talking about a person that looked like your stereotypical 'hacker'; AKMA is an ordained priest.

    What are you advocating here exactly? That police officers are more justified to harrass some because of their look? Or that the law is less applicable to some people because of their job? With ignorant, prejudicial comments like this who needs rights eh? Let's just roundup all those who look like they may cause trouble and be done with it...

    Looks, job, race, gender, etc should have nothing to do with the law and law enforcement. Laws and rights apply to everyone equally.

  5. Tell the cop to get bent! by ScottGant · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Seriously...where was this at? I read his site and didn't see where he's from.

    I smell something very fishy here BTW. He showed the cop the second time that he wasn't connecting to anywhere and yet the cop told him to move along. Move along? He was on a bench on public land just looking at his computer! The cop had no right to tell him to move along!

    Two sides to every story I suppose, but would be interesting to call the police station and get their take on it...if only I knew where this was all taking place.

    Also, where is this story reported from? The submitter of the story said "Keith Shaw, in his weekly column" yet the link just goes to an index where I can't find anything on AKMA...nor does it even show up on a search of the site!

    --

    "Music is everybody's possession. It's only publishers who think that people own it." - John Lennon.
  6. US CODE COLLECTION by phreakv6 · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Here is the law .Refer (a)(2)(C)

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    fifteen jugglers, five believers