[penguicon-general] The Wi-Fi Liberator

[Seth Breidbart]

"john guest" <phecda at gmail.com> wrote:

> If by interesting, you mean "controversial", why yes, it is.

Remember the decision Continental won?  Boston Logan claimed (by
contract) the exclusive right to provide wireless Internet access;
Continental wanted to provide it free in its lounge.  The court ruled
that according to law, the airport could _not_ restrict Continental
offering the service.  I see no reason that same decision wouldn't
apply to Joe Phan offering the same service.

> Going out an purposely cracking for-pay wi-fi services is the
> equivalent of crawling under the door of a pay toilet.

But there's no cracking involved.  The person providing the access
point _pays for_ the service.  He then resells (for a price of $0, his
decision) what he bought.  Isn't that just what ISPs do, buying
bandwidth and reselling it?

(OK, the contract for the bandwidth itself could prohibit sharing.)

Seth