Quote:
Originally Posted by HarryT
Let me ask you a question, if I may. Consider this scenario:
I live alone. I'm an IT professional, and have been for 30-odd years. I have a properly secured wireless network (WPA2, lengthy string of completely random characters for a passphrase). Nobody but me ever uses my computers. Doesn't take a genius to figure out that if copyrighted material is downloaded via my IP connection then I'm the one who did the deed.
Now, let's suppose I'm a pirate. I think to myself, "aha! If I remove the encryption from my WiFi, I've got a 'get out of jail free' card. If anyone tries to prosecute me for copyright infringement, all I have to do is say that someone else must have used by WiFi without my knowledge!"
True or not?
If true, it's a sad state of affair, to my mind  . |
To a certain extent, true. If it were a criminal case, and the actor said, "my wireless is open" (and they
always do), I would seize his computer and examine it. If he's telling the truth, I won't find the offending files. In that case, I cannot file charges. If he's lying, I'm probably going to find something. Maybe not, though; maybe he's really good. In that case, he gets away with it.
Let me pose another scenario (and this is one I've encountered many times). Three grown deadbeat adult children live with Mom, who is elderly, unfamiliar with technology and, quite frankly, a little senile. Who's name do you think all the utilities (including the internet) are in? So 85 year old mom is now responsible?