The Electronic Frontier Foundation recently published a white paper on copyright infringement from open Wi-Fi. The paper is not legal advice but answers many questions that might arise after you receive an abuse complaint for behavior somebody else did on your network. The white paper is available as a PDF from https://www.eff.org/files/2014/05/23/copyright.wifi_.primer.pdf
The EFF posted the information with a headline on the summary: Open Wi-Fi Is Not a CopyCrime: EFF’s Primer on Open Wi-Fi and Copyright. The article is intended for ISPs and providers of open Wi-Fi such as municipalities, cafes, libraries, and others.
The EFF also encourages the Open Wireless Movement. This is meant to debunk many of the myths surrounding open wireless. As many routers or access points allow multiple SSIDs/networks, you could create a guest network to allow access to your bandwidth without access to the rest of your network resources. You also may not have to fear legal consequences for others actions on your network.
We envision a world where, in any urban environment:
- Dozens of open networks are available at your fingertips.
- Tablets, watches, and other new devices can automatically join these networks to do nifty things.
- The societal expectation is one of sharing, and, as a result, wireless Internet is more efficient.
- The false notion that an IP address could be used as a sole identifier is finally a thing of the past, creating a privacy-enhancing norm of shared networks.
