[57152] in North American Network Operators' Group
Re: State Super-DMCA Too True
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Larry J. Blunk)
Sun Mar 30 11:56:17 2003
To: Jack Bates <jbates@brightok.net>
Cc: Avleen Vig <lists-nanog@silverwraith.com>,
William Allen Simpson <wsimpson@greendragon.com>, nanog@merit.edu
In-reply-to: Your message of "Sun, 30 Mar 2003 10:23:59 CST."
<3E871A1F.2080607@brightok.net>
Date: Sun, 30 Mar 2003 11:55:44 -0500
From: "Larry J. Blunk" <ljb@merit.edu>
Errors-To: owner-nanog-outgoing@merit.edu
> Larry J. Blunk wrote:
> >
> > I'm not trying to justify allowing the use of NAT where it is
> > prohibited by a terms of service agreement and thus grounds for
> > termination of service. However, going beyond termination of
> > service and making this an illegal act under law (possibly
> > punishable by a felony conviction and 4 years in prison) is an
> > entirely different case. If you stop paying your ISP bill
> > (thus getting several months for free until the ISP cuts you
> > off) wouldn't that also be theft of service? Should one
> > also be subject to a felony conviction and 4 years of prison for
> > such an act?
>
> If it takes a few months for the ISP to cut you off for not paying your
> bill, that is their own fault. Concerning someone going to jail for
> running NAT in breach of TOS, I find it supportable. There is precedence
> set with the Cable companies (using equipment to allow service to be
> used on more than tv's than allowed by the cable company would be
> equivelent here).
>
> -Jack
Sigh. My point is this is a question of extremes and punishment
commensurate with the "crime". I can understand how one could
consider NAT to be "theft" under a terms of service agreement. I
can even understand how one might think this should be a criminal
offense (although I would disagree - consider how many ISP's
consider NAT to be perfectly acceptable). However, going beyond a
misdemeanor offense and a fine - advocating prison time and felony
convictions - is something I simply can't understand or find
supportable.
