So the world is still a crazy place: In a story making the rounds (CNN, Slashdot) that hits somewhat close to home, a Sparta, Michigan, man is being charged with “Fraudulent access to computers, computer systems, and computer networks” for sitting in a coffee shop parking lot and using the Internet.
WOODTV has the original story, and the details are scary. According to the story, the man just parked in the parking lot, used the free wireless Internet, but didn’t actually buy anything. Nobody, including the officer, knew initially that any law was actually being broken. The shop owner even said that if the man had been inside the shop it wouldn’t have been a problem. So now the guy has to pay fines and do community service.
It’s a good thing Michigan is going after those evil wireless Internet leeches rather that do those outlandish things like balancing the budget, fixing roads, or figuring out how to fix the tumbling economy, right?
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