I go out and forget to double-lock my apartment. One of the other tenants has propped open the security door, and I leave it ajar. When I get home hours later I find my home has been burgled. I call the police and they say, “Stiff. Your own fault for going out and not securing your home. We can’t charge anybody for taking your property.”

I don’t think so! Taking something that doesn’t belong to you, and without explicit permission from the owner, is theft.

Choice had an article on this a while back (http://www.choice.com.au/printFriendly.aspx?ID=105476):

“Internet leeching has to be detected and reported by the network owner before any legal action can be taken. However, a 2005 study by the University of South Australia Advanced Computing Research Centre found that the misappropriation of bandwidth is generally not reported to police.

“Under the computer crime laws of many countries, it’s illegal to use somebody else’s wireless internet network and there have been prosecutions in the US, Canada and the UK. Punishments range from small fines for pinching bandwidth to more severe penalties for activities such as stealing credit card records and buying pornography using somebody else’s bank account.

“In Australia, federal and state law enforcement agencies regard unauthorised connection to, and use of a network, as illegal activity. Realistically, it may be difficult to identify the person responsible, particularly if it is done from a mobile location using a laptop.

“However, if somebody uses a wireless network for criminal activity, the authorities will investigate. The Australian Institute of Criminology (AIC) says internet leeching can be used as a base for criminals to launch illegal activity and hide their identity. In 2000, a Queensland man was convicted of using a wireless network to hack into a council’s computerised waste management network.”

Awaiting interesting responses…

Cheers, Polomint

Well, Polomint…unsecured wireless should be used where ever you find it…that is what it is there for. Theft?…that is ridiculous!

I also hope you were joking about borrowing wireless! An admission like that on your site could put you in schtum with the authorities. Use of other peoples’ bandwidth (even if they are not savvy enough to secure their networks, and therefore negligent) is theft and is regularly prosecuted.

But I am sure you were joking!

Cheers, Polomint

PS. I know I’ve posted this twice! I mixed up two posts and responded “as one”. Sorry but I’ve the flu at the moment and am more than usually brain-dead!