[AF] WiFi is getting dangerous

[Blake Bowers]

Yes - and no.

Depends on how the law is written - and whether or
not the service is for sale - and how the service
is obtained.

As an example, one state has a law that states that
you can only be convicted of "theft of telecommunications
services" you have to use and provide a "Device" in order
to steal those services.  That device under case law has
been always considered a hacked catv box.  One time
in the 80's, they tried to convict a guy who cut a padlock
off of the master distribution box on his apartment
building, connected up the line going into his apartment,
and connected that directly to his cable ready TV, of
theft of telecommunications services.

They lost, the guy was shown innocent, because there
was no "device" used to steal those services.  They tried
to state that the TV was a device, and the judge ruled
that it was NOT a device to steal services, it was a 
device to use those services.   They then tried to say that
the device used was the bolt cutters.

In other words, state laws vary from state to state, and
in reality from area to area, depending on the prosecutor,
judge, etc.


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Sid Schweiger" <sid at wrko.com>
To: <af at radiolists.net>
Sent: Saturday, May 26, 2007 7:01 PM
Subject: Re: [AF] WiFi is getting dangerous


>>>And a cite for that?<<
> 
> Every state has statutes prohibiting theft of services...a statute
> easily applied to using WiFi connections without permission.
> 
> 
>