Man Arrested for Mooching Neighbor's Wi-Fi

The only reason I disagree with folks who believe that borrowing an UNSECURED wifi connection is stealing is simple, and it is enough for me: If the signal is reaching my property and is unsecured, it is mine to use at will. If my neighbor uses an FM broadcaster to hear his iPod through his car stereo, am I a thief if I tune in to the station to which he is broadcasting? Nope. And if someone is broadcasting their internet connection -- and I emphatically repeat, UNSECURED internet connection -- and it reaches my property, I am equally blameless for using it if I wish. HOWEVER, parking outside someone's house or business is not the same thing, and stealing/hacking passwords would definitely be stealing.

Here's how I look at it. WiFi, simply put, are low power electromagnetic signals. These signals have yet to be deemed "safe" for our health. Until such evidence becomes available, we have to treat it as if it's harmful (you know, better safe than sorry). With that in mind, if I'm walking into or near a coffee shop, or any other public place that has WiFi for that matter, and I'm being unwillingly bombarded by these potentially hazardous RF signals. Then you bet your ass I'm going to at least use those signals to check my email or surf the net. I didn't ask for my body to be molested by these invisible-air-terrorists, I just want my double-mocha-choca-latte-with-a-shot-of-goats-milk-topped-with-a-shot-of-whipped-cream-and-finished-off-with-a-sprinkle-of-freshly-ground-cinnamon.

please! please! give us a break. hey! is HE going to be arrested for breathing some else's air if he is on their property?
THE CRAZY BRITS, THEY AIN'T GOT NOTHING BETTER TO DO!

No the cort ruled in a elecritcy case years ago that whats in the air is free,in a case of running power lines across a mans land ,and he taped into by a conduser ,get a good lawer who will look it up

There is no such thing as someone else's air, air is free, WI-FI is not free, if you want it pay for it!!

And they were harmed how.....? Did they lose anything? Were they or their customers deprived of the service. Was the service diminished in any way? It's not like an unused airplane or theatre seat, in that there was a tangable loss of potential.... Use of WiFi in the air harms no one... unless the "unauthorized" user blocks, or harms. Some folks need to get a life.

I use my neighbor's wifi too. I say if you're going to bombard me with your unwanted RF signals, I might as well make them useful to me.

This is rediculous. If you have wireless and you don't secure the connection, don't complain if someone taps in and swipes it.

Besides, what harm does it do? My neighbor uses my wi-fi and it doesn't slow me down at all.

if you dont lock down your wi-fi it is syaing that you dont care if someone uses it. this is not worth the legal time and cost to us as a nation to go after these users. I pay for my wi-fi and if someone uses it that is ok by me

If you take or use something that doesn't belong to you without permission, the bottom line is that's stealing, which is illegal and a sin.

I agree with Anne...if your connection is not secured, you have no right to complain. We had problems with our connection, and "borrowed" someone elses to find what we needed. We didn't stay on long, but we did need to borrow it, and they were not secured either.

Now, if someone hacks into your secured wi-fi, that's a different story!

To be completely honest, I use my neighbors wi-fi without their knowledge. My problem is that I don't know which neighbor it is, otherwise I'd gladly pony up $20 a month for what I use. See, I'm a working grad student, having to pay tuition and books, along with rent, car payments and all else, without student loans, since I'm already in debt management because I f'd up with credit cards a few years back (and I didn't feel it was right to declare bankruptcy; it was my mistake, I'll pay my way out). I simply can't afford the $80-100 a month for Internet here in the Bay Area, so I mooch off my neighbor. I know, it makes me a bad person, but I'm over it.

There is a big difference between being arrested and being convicted. There is nothing in the article regarding the outcome of the arrest of the Michigan man. It will be interesting to see if the courts agree with the cops and prosecutors that this is illegal.

While this man was outside the cafe, I'd be interested to know if the cafe arrests all people that are in their establishment using Wi-Fi but not buying anything. Do they have people walking around policing everyone?

Oh my God, give me a break!! Just one more bull-shit for police to deal with. I have a cousin who let's her step-son live in her house without him paying any rent or expense and he has the connection and he refuses to let my cousin use his connection. I told her to throw his ass out and him start paying rent and food and see what happens then!!!

That is ridiculous, getting arrested for using someone elses WIFI connection. I can understand if it was secured and required a network key and you hacked in. But unsecured means exactly that, available to all to use for free. Also seeing that there are no wires involved how can you steal something you cannot see, its invisible. I go to the library all the time to use their free public wifi because i sit outside in my car and dont go in the library I am stealing their WIFI. Nonsense!!!! Make it secure and require a password like they do at hotels so that non guests cant just jump on their WIFI connection.

I guess people dont think stealing cable or wifi is illegal. Just because something isnt locked down and secured dose not mean its there for the taking. Say a neighbor dose not lock there door and your locked out of your house and need to use the rest room. You go into the house with out permission and use the restroom and are caught. You did not steal anything and the house was unlocked so why did you get thrown in jail for breaking an entering?

Our legal system at its best. They can't catch the real criminals out there, like the guy who killed the mother of his child and her new boyfriend but we sure can catch those wifi "crooks". They can't catch the people who stole my identity and depleted my banking account but they sure can catch those people who "steal" an unsecure wifi connection. God forbid they actually put this man on trial and waste more of my tax paying dollars. Get a life its an internet connection. If you don't want people to use it then make it a secure connection just like I made mine. And whoever made the comment about it being a sin, I highly doubt when you get to those pearly gates of heaven St.Peter is going to send you down to hell because you used someone's wifi connection.

I believe that the technical term is theft of services. In reading some of the posts here, it is obvious how many are scoff-laws and break the law themselves. How can you that are parents expect your kids to be upright citizens if this is how you think and what you practise? No wonder the youth of our country and the country itself is in trouble.

I agree with those that think its OK to borrow a signal if it isnt secured. there are a lot more important things to use the court system for that prosecuting "wifi borrowers".

If I leave my house or my car unlocked does that mean it is ok to take from them? If I leave money hanging out of my wallet, does that mean it is ok to take it? NO. It is the person who is taking something that does not belong to them that should restrain themselves from stealing.