back to article YARR! Library Wi-Fi PIRATES can't be touched by Queen's men!

Identifying your nearest public library will soon be dead easy: just look for the skull-and-crossbones flag draped over the entrance, or follow the greasy-haired blokes in trench coats. Communications watchdog Ofcom confirmed on Tuesday that libraries, universities and public Wi-Fi network providers will be exempt from anti- …

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  1. Danny 14

    so? Use any decent sort of access point and put a RESTRICTION on clients. My bargain basement ubiquiti unifis can have a restriction on bandwidth for each "voucher" used. Simply restrict it to 100mb You are hardly going to be pulling serious downloads on 100mb. If you want to use bandwidth heavy apps (youtube, iplayer et al) then you need to use a library kiosk PC.

  2. ratfox

    There goes the connectivity

    They better install fiber.

  3. Ralph B
    Holmes

    Low Infringement

    > Le Patourel said he thought the level of infringement in libraries [...] was likely to be low

    ... probably because they will have closed the last of the libraries by then.

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    All BT users as 'communications providers'?

    So, if as a BT subscriber, one lets the default BT Fon and BT-WIFI SSIDs exist alongside one's own, emanating from your Home hub, doesn't that classify one as a 'communications provider' and provide one with a similar exemption?

    I can see someone saying a quick 'No' to that, but surely legally, the two situations are not too dissimilar?

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: All BT users as 'communications providers'?

      Except you're providing a proxy host for BT's service offering. BT are the service provider, you are merely supplying a conduit for their service. If it wasn't for BT, their broadband service and their tunnel to allow your (actuall, technically I think it's their) home hub, there wouldn't be any form of service.

  5. Paul E

    When signing up for wifi at our local library

    You have to agree some terms that I suspect include this sort of activity so though not explicitly covered I suspect libraries can easily cancel access for those who abuse their wifi access.

    1. Rob

      Re: When signing up for wifi at our local library

      You're assuming staff know how to do that, most of the time that will be out of scope of their skillset. They probably won't monitor that well either.

      1. Blasmeme

        Re: When signing up for wifi at our local library

        Um..Sorry but in fact it is piss easy for most library staff to do that. We do monitor walk-in access and we do come down like a ton of bricks on folks who think we're all little old ladies with their hair in a bun. There have been computers in libraries for more than 20 years. What did you think we were doing all that time?

  6. Anonymous Coward
    Pirate

    "greasy-haired blokes in trench coats"

    I guess Orlowski has never been to a music biz conference. The delegates look pretty much the same as the PP members in that photo.

  7. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Time to open a Library

    I see a nice business venture in "Library's"

  8. The BigYin

    "public Wi-Fi network providers"

    So....what's to stop me running a public guest network from my router? Purely as a public service you understand. Maybe even run something as part of Project Byzantium.

    Can I now be exempt from these stupid laws?

    It's high time our MPs stopped attacking our freedoms just to maintain a dying business model.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: "public Wi-Fi network providers"

      What? Attacking your freedom to rip off other people's hard work?

      Piracy as a "right" is never going to get much sympathy when it hinges on someone losing out. Sure the big companies producing content, be they games, films, books, music, loose out, but ultimately the creative people loose out as well.

      http://boingboing.net/2012/11/15/why-doesnt-mtv-play-music-vi.html

      1. The BigYin

        Re: "public Wi-Fi network providers"

        AC...probably just a brainless troll...but I'll bite because it's fun.

        "Piracy as a "right" is never going to get much sympathy when it hinges on someone losing out."

        I'm not advocating for piracy. I'm not into rape and murder. I'm also not advocating for copyright infringement. I'm simply advocating for not having a presumption of guilt and for the protection of our social culture. You trying to tell me that 70 years is a reasonable time period? Pfft. And the recent 20 year extension was gained by artists from beyond the grave? No. Pure profiteering, nothing more and our cultural heritage is held to ransom that little bit longer. Kids can't have their own designs printed on to cake because that's an attempt to overthrow multi-national corporations?

        Tell me...ever heard of Shakespeare? Did all his stuff being out of copyright ruin theatrical production? Oh wait, Beethoven's sheets killed live orchestra. Or not.

        Nice link. So MTV doesn't play music videos because there are other channels (e.g. YouTube) and other ways for artists to reach fans (e.g. Twitter). Strange, doesn't seem to stop the likes of "Kerrang!" (on in my household quite a lot). And I don't need to see speedboats jump through balls of fire (that's what movies are for). Also, I could never stand MTV. "Celebrity Deathmatch" was about the only thing worth watching.

        I will say one thing, the situation with regards access is is better than is has been, but the content providers are still wedded to old ideas like "regions" and all that does is drive people batshit. I can't watch "Hulu" for example. Why? I might even pay for "Hulu" if it was an option (thus doing away with my current cable deal). But no, not an option. I want to buy that DVD, but I can't play it because it's region 1. I want to give you my money but you won't let me*. Idiots.

        * In reality can play it of course, but only because I have gone all illegal and (shock, horror) by-passed the region lock. Wow! Look at me! I am a l33t criminal who can now given money to the people/companies they like! Arrest me! I am supporting free trade!

  9. BongoJoe
    Pirate

    There's a skull and crossbones

    ...flying over my local high street bookmakers for some reason whilst the reat of the shops either have the Welsh dragon flag or the St David's cross flying.

    I find this somwhat strangely comforting.

  10. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    nonsense

    when I use free internet in my local, public library, I have to log in with my username and password, which is anything but anonymous. Likewise in the not-so-public British Library. And I'm pretty sure it's going to be trivial to block / cripple p2p anyway.

    1. Chris007
      Pirate

      Re: nonsense @ AC 0947 GMT

      VPN sorts the crippling out.

      username and password for your library - not sure what info you give to sign up but if it's email then you just give a OTU email address that you signed up with via a VPN/TOR

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: nonsense @ AC 0947 GMT

        library card number and pin is probably the most common sign on.

        Library card number traceable to your home address. Proof of identity required when applying.

        Library IT will be under the parent council control, so the IT department already knows how to stop thousands of users accessing the wrong sort of site.

        Suppositions of course, YMMV

      2. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: nonsense @ AC 0947 GMT

        VPN and torrents, I don't think so

        VPN and payment generous (not) "pirates", likewise

        and you _do_ need an id and proof of address to get a library card. Plus a mugshot if you venture into the British Library.

        There will be people who will take the risk, but _very_ few will bother, so this is a non-topic, really.

  11. Anonymous Coward
    Trollface

    I'm Shocked!

    I didn't know there were any Libraries left.

  12. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    So if I read that correctly, any public hotspot is exempt?

    I hope this means as a business if I run a free hotspot for customers, I am now exempt aswell

  13. Circadian
    FAIL

    Don't worry, the library problem is already in hand

    The government is busy closing them. (Please note that I intend no slur against any particular party - I think they are all in this together...)

    Sheesh - a place where people could get education and entertainment for free is being chopped to the bone, and you are worried about a few downloads? How many sessions could be in use at any one time - a few thousand even if every possible session os being used for infringement? A trivial number in the scheme of things, especially compared to the costs associated if libraries had to maintain legal services to protect themselves. Also, you did not mention any software protection libraries may have or put in place to place roadblocks to casual downloading.

  14. Steven Roper
    Pirate

    I wonder if

    Opening your own WiFi to public access makes you a provider and thus exempt to the new law? Simply set up a router with unencrypted WiFi, call it "Steve's Public Hotspot" and voila! Instant immunity to anti-piracy legislation!

    1. JetSetJim
      Unhappy

      Re: I wonder if

      And also, voila, instant persecution as a kiddie-fiddler-porn-enabler.

  15. Fuzz

    awesome

    So, do I need to register myself as a public Wi-Fi network provider or can I just open a network on my AP?

    What about FON? If I get a FON router does that exempt me?

  16. This post has been deleted by its author

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: so what?

      Because I'm paying for it, that's why.

      I support libraries being funded out of taxation - for learning. Not for some fat loser to steal porn all day.

      1. This post has been deleted by its author

  17. Steve Button Silver badge
    WTF?

    doesn't make sense to download pirate material at home when you can do it with impunity elsewhere

    Doesn't make sense?

    So, if I want to pirate a film or an album then I'm going to have to take a trip all the way down to the local library?? C'mon? Seriously? It's about convenience.

    I DO actually take my kids to the library every week, but I would not want to sit there for several hours while a film downloads.

    For that amount of inconvenience, I might actually be prepared to pay to stream the film.

    ;-)

  18. Dave Bell

    And then...

    The BBC and Adove manage to break iPlayer again. Never mind, we can always get those programmes at the library.

  19. Kubla Cant

    FON

    I wondered about the attribution of FON traffic a couple of years ago when I had a BT connection. IIRC, on investigation it appeared that the address of the router on the DSL network was different for FON, so presumably BT can distinguish traffic via the public hotspot from your private traffic. The answer to this, of course, is to connect to your own FON hotspot.

  20. Christian Berger

    Freifunk Franken and Oldenburg

    In Germany there's another approach. Essentially everything in that open wireless network is being VPNed to Slovenia. That way there's next to no chance of prosecution. Of course since bandwidth is limited, you are likely to be kicked out in case an automatic script thinks you are using to much P2P software.

    The _really_ nice thing about it is that there is a pre-made set of images for commonly used routers. You simply flash those, and the switch will split up into different ports. The "WAN" port will be the one you connect towards the Internet. The next 2 ports are for the meshed routing/switching algorithm "B.A.T.M.A.N. advanced" and allow you to connect multiple nodes directly, and the last 2 ports are for local devices you want to connect to the meshed network but which don't support B.A.T.M.A.N. advanced.

    The device will also set up 2 wireless networks, one ad-hoc to connect to other routers, one managed for wireless clients. The image even allows you to remote-manage the router via a web-based interface.

    http://mastersword.de/~reddog/images/

    https://mastersword.de:444/networkstatistic.php

    This is a cheap and simple way to provide public network access, which is, in my opinion, a basic human right.

  21. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    haha, this anti pirating law should make all you smart people go back to cables and no wifi @ home, havnt you seen how easy they are to hack?

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