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Michigan Man Fined for Using Coffee Shop's Wi-Fi Network
Fox News ^ | 05/31/2007 | Sara Bonisteel

Posted on 05/31/2007 12:51:13 PM PDT by Responsibility2nd

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To: School of Rational Thought

I’m sitting in the apartment of a friend. Ethernet. I do not espouse the concept of stealing bandwidth. Some common sense needs to be applied when someone broadcasts a signal IMO.


301 posted on 05/31/2007 4:07:20 PM PDT by kinoxi
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To: GovernmentIsTheProblem

The sign says Customers Only now!

You can go to CNN and search WIFI for the story. CNN Pipeline is now free to all too.


302 posted on 05/31/2007 4:07:40 PM PDT by BurbankKarl
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To: ColdWater

http://www.emailthis.clickability.com/et/emailThis?clickMap=viewThis&etMailToID=1657129446

This links should work.

The sign says FREE WIFI CUstomers Only - but my guess is it the caveat was added later AS A RESULT OF not prior to the case.

THe owner said in the article that he could have come in and used it for free and not bought anything.


303 posted on 05/31/2007 4:10:50 PM PDT by GovernmentIsTheProblem (Amnesty alone didn't kill the GOP - socialism did long ago. The stench you smell now is it's corpse.)
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To: ColdWater

Where does it say that?


304 posted on 05/31/2007 4:17:03 PM PDT by LetGoNow
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To: ColdWater
But you do have rights over who uses your bandwidth.

Even when you put up a sign that reads "Free"?

Seems to me that once you've done that, you've relinquished those "rights" by offering your bandwith to anyone with the ability to log onto it.

Now.... if you had qualified access to your bandwith with a sign that read, "WiFi access is provided to paying customers only", that would be different, because you have taken steps to limit access to your bandwith to certain individuals (in this case, paying customers).

But to simply state to all, "Free Wifi" - well, what the heck does that imply?

- John

305 posted on 05/31/2007 4:17:43 PM PDT by Fishrrman
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To: dynoman
A car can be in locked mode or in unlocked mode. Being unlocked does not give automatic rights to any walking by to use it without permission.

Certainly. But in this case the coffee shop owner DID GIVE PERMISSION, both before and after the fact. The local Suidae chose to make a case out of this.

306 posted on 05/31/2007 4:19:50 PM PDT by BlazingArizona
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To: dynoman
I have entered private property without explicit permission. I have used equipment belong to others without permission nor compensation. I have used software (TV transmissions) paid for by others (in the case of a game or movie on cable, even the rights to view the programming were paid for by others. I have not paid for anything, not purchased anything from Sears. If I’m really lucky, a comfy recliner is nearby and I got to sit down for two and a half hours.

If you cannot see the analogy to the case in question, I don’t know what to say.

307 posted on 05/31/2007 4:23:08 PM PDT by SoCal Pubbie
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To: dynoman
I could not do what this guy did without feeling like I was stealing

I wouldn't do it either unless I was a regular customer and it was just a quick deal. Then again, the city has a lot of 'free' hotspots anyway.
308 posted on 05/31/2007 4:23:15 PM PDT by P-40 (Al Qaeda was working in Iraq. They were just undocumented.)
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To: dynoman; Fishrrman

You called it stealing, Now I see you are trying to weasel around and claim you meant something else... and that your concern is something else...

But earlier you said...

“This guy was using internet being paid for by someone else without their permission. That is stealing pure and simple. I don’t know what is so hard to understand about that.”

So which is it? You gonna be man enough to admit your first post was wrong? You said he was stealing. now you admit he wasn’t. Which is it?


309 posted on 05/31/2007 4:23:20 PM PDT by LetGoNow
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To: Fishrrman

Smack ‘em. They are fools and this thread is full of them. I have nothing but contempt for them.

Still haven;t decided if it’s that they are “jack booted thugs” at heart or just stupid. Either way, they are a scary lot and a threat to conservatives. Being a conservative does not mean being a statist/near fascist. Jeepers!


310 posted on 05/31/2007 4:26:22 PM PDT by LetGoNow
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To: LetGoNow
I wish the defendant had fought it because of the precedent being set here;But since a legal retainer is commonly $1000 with more for billable hours ,he chose the cheaper way out.Except as a convicted felon he could lose a lot of job opportunities,guns,voting rights,etc.

Bad politicians and cops set fines to be painful but less costly than fighting false charges.

311 posted on 05/31/2007 4:29:10 PM PDT by hoosierham (Waddaya mean Freedom isn't free ?;will you take a creditcard?)
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To: hoosierham

I agree. I would have chipped in a few bucks to his defense fund. I get the impression the guy wasn’t real “savvy”.


312 posted on 05/31/2007 4:30:52 PM PDT by LetGoNow
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To: ColdWater
The store policy was to charge for use if no purchase was made.

Where did you read that?

The person at the cafe explicitly stated that he could have used the wifi inside even if he didn't buy anything.

313 posted on 05/31/2007 4:31:12 PM PDT by TomB ("The terrorist wraps himself in the world's grievances to cloak his true motives." - S. Rushdie)
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To: Fishrrman
But to simply state to all, "Free Wifi" - well, what the heck does that imply?

There policy was Free Wifi TO PAYING customers. Fees for non-customers.

314 posted on 05/31/2007 4:36:21 PM PDT by ColdWater
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To: ColdWater
There (sic) policy was Free Wifi TO PAYING customers. Fees for non-customers.

I don't understand why people have to make things up when they have to know they will get called on it.

From the article you obviously didn't read:

    The case has surprised locals, including the owner of the barbershop that initially called police, as well as Donna May, owner of the coffee shop.

    "He could have just come in the cafe, even if he didn't have any money, I would let him get on it," May said.

Sheesh.

315 posted on 05/31/2007 4:39:01 PM PDT by Two_Sheds
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To: GovernmentIsTheProblem
The sign says FREE WIFI CUstomers Only - but my guess is it the caveat was added later AS A RESULT OF not prior to the case.

Oh. Then the poster that posted "Free WIFI" was incorrect.

THe owner said in the article that he could have come in and used it for free and not bought anything.

I think the owner said he could come in and use it if he didn't have any money.

316 posted on 05/31/2007 4:39:06 PM PDT by ColdWater
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To: ColdWater

You have been asked twice to back that up. Put up or shut up.


317 posted on 05/31/2007 4:39:33 PM PDT by LetGoNow
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To: Two_Sheds
I don't understand why people have to make things up when they have to know they will get called on it.

Yea. Like how them made up that "Free Wife" sign.

318 posted on 05/31/2007 4:40:33 PM PDT by ColdWater
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To: Two_Sheds
I don't understand why people have to make things up when they have to know they will get called on it.

Yea. Like how them made up that "Free Wife" sign.

319 posted on 05/31/2007 4:40:33 PM PDT by ColdWater
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To: dynoman
My point here is the diminishing respect that is shown towards the private property of another, will you deny that is happening? Like this guy, the least he could do to show some respect for another sharing their private property with him is buy some coffee. But no, it’s all take, take, take - use the system to get everything you can in any way you can for all to many people these days.

Nonsense. That is not what this is about.

Would it be respectful if the guy would at least buy a cup of coffee in exchange for the service? Certainly. But it turns out that it is a FELONY in this town if he doesn't. This is ~ridiculous~.

Do you think that it should be a felony for him to not buy a cup of coffee, even though the owner of the service didn't mind what he did? That he should lose his right to vote and have all his guns taken away? That's what FELONY means. You're OK with that?

I think it is silly.

320 posted on 05/31/2007 4:40:37 PM PDT by Ramius (Personally, I give us... one chance in three. More tea?)
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