Sony-BMG: You're A Thief

Wow is all I can say about this one!!!

During the first trial between the RIAA and a person who they claim illegally downloaded music, Jennifer Pariser, who is litigator for the Sony-BMG Music Group is calling damn near everyone a thief. During her testimony she was asked if she thought a consumer should be allowed to copy a song off a CD that they already owned.

Under oath she stated that “when an individual makes a copy of a song for himself, I suppose we can say he stole a song.”

So there you have it!!!

Most people have to copy music from their CD collection to get it to there ipods or Zunes, so now they are thief's? Not to even speak about all the old school people back in the day who made tapes from records, just to play in their car. I don't think I know one person who has never made a copy of music that they owned, for another media. So if you already own the CD, Sony-BMG says you should have to re-purchase it again to put it on your MP3 player, to be considered not a thief.

So everyone, according to Sony-BMG you are all thief's!!!

Sony BMG’s chief anti-piracy lawyer: “Copying” music you own is “stealing” [Ars via Crunchgear]

Two cautioned over wireless Internet "piggy-backing"

I just had a conversation a few days ago about possible repucussions of "going on someone else's wireless broadband". I've not done it; after reading this I'll be even more cautious about it.

What are your thoughts?

Two cautioned over wireless Internet "piggy-backing"

By Peter Griffiths
LONDON (Reuters) - Two people have been arrested and cautioned for using someone else's wireless Internet connection without permission, known as "piggy-backing", British police said on Wednesday.
The practice, which sharply divides Internet users, has been fuelled by the rapid growth of fast wireless broadband in homes and people's failure to secure their networks.
On Saturday, a man was arrested after neighbors spotted him sitting in a car outside a home in Redditch, Worcestershire, using a laptop computer to browse the Internet.
A 29-year-old woman was also arrested in a car in a similar incident in the same area last month.
Both received an official caution, a formal warning one step short of prosecution, for "dishonestly obtaining electronic communications services with intent to avoid payment".
They were among the first to be arrested for piggy-backing in Britain. Gregory Straszkiewicz, from west London, was the first person to be convicted of the offence in 2005. He was fined 500 pounds and give a 12-month conditional discharge.
"Wireless networks don't stop at the walls of your home," said PC Tony Humphreys, of West Mercia Constabulary. "Without the necessary protection, your neighbors or people in the road outside may be able to connect to your network."
There is a lively ethical debate in Internet chatrooms over whether piggy-backing is immoral or harmless.
"If it travels through the air it is open season," wrote one contributor to a Web forum. Another wrote: "If it's out there unsecure and I'm not trespassing, it's fair game."
Up to a quarter of home wireless connections are unsecured, according to a recent survey by the consumer finance Web site www.moneysupermarket.com.
Jason Lloyd, the site's head of broadband, said it left people open to identity theft, fraud and pornography being downloaded using their account.
"The repercussions can be severe," he said. "It's bad enough when your neighbors can use your Internet connection freely, but this becomes far more sinister if someone uses your wireless connection for criminal activity."
Businesses are also at risk. A survey of 320 companies by the London trade show Infosecurity Europe found that a quarter have no wireless security policy.
© Reuters 2007. All Rights Reserved.