FC: Why NYC Time Warner is right to send nastygrams: "It's theft!"

[Declan McCullagh <declan () well com>]

Previous Politech message:

"NYC Time Warner Cable sending nastygrams to free 802.11 points?"
http://www.politechbot.com/p-03689.html

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To: declan () well com
Subject: Re: FC: NYC Time Warner Cable sending nastygrams to free 802.11 
points?
From: tomg () ipi org
Date: Wed, 26 Jun 2002 15:30:44 -0500

I think it's instructive that Rick describes his wireless device a "public 
access point."

I run wireless access points both in my office and my home, but they are 
not "public" access points.  I would immediately, instinctively know that 
to do so is wrong. When it was first pointed out to me by a friend that the 
default configuration of the wireless access point gave access to anyone 
within its range, I immediately reconfigured the access point and all 
workstations.  I immediately, instinctively knew that it was wrong, without 
reading the fine print of my contract with the ISP.

It is to give away something for free that someone has not paid for. It is 
to give my provider scores of consumers of its services while only giving 
them 1 paying customer.

If I subscribe to a cable tv service and run wires to all the homes in my 
neighborhood giving them free cable, that is obviously stealing. I see no 
difference between that and providing a "public" access point.

If someone wants to be noble and provide free, public, wireless internet 
access to scores of people, they should own up to what they are doing, 
assume all the real costs of business, and negotiate some sort of public 
license from their content source. THAT is noble. Stealing content and 
giving it away is not noble--it's Robin Hood.

**************************
Tom Giovanetti
President
Institute for Policy Innovation (IPI)
http://www.ipi.org
tomg () ipi org

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Date: Wed, 26 Jun 2002 17:30:35 -0400
To: declan () well com
From: Eric Tully <eric () tully com>
Subject: Re: FC: NYC Time Warner Cable sending nastygrams to free
  802.11 points?

There's no story here.  It's rare that I stick up for a corporation but
this guy deserved the nastygram.

They don't care if he sets up a wireless LAN.  They just don't want him to
supply downstream parties with the Internet service that they sell him.
This guy is nothing more than a cable thief.  He's probably going to
complain next that the All You Can Eat Buffet kicked him out for sharing
his plate with 20 strangers.

Redistributing Cable TV "merely" deprives the cable company of revenue but
it doesn't really increase their costs.  Redistributing Cable Internet
service on the other hand both deprives them of revenue AND increases their
costs since they have to install additional lines to accomodate the load
his LAN puts on their network.

He's violating his contract - Here's the world's smallest violen.

- Eric

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