Open Wi-Fi 'outlawed' by Digital Economy Bill

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WASCO
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Open Wi-Fi 'outlawed' by Digital Economy Bill

Post by WASCO »

The government will not exempt universities, libraries and small businesses providing open Wi-Fi services from its Digital Economy Bill copyright crackdown, according to official advice released last week.

This would leave many businesses open to the same penalties for copyright infringement as individual subscribers, potentially including disconnection from the internet, leading legal experts to say it will become impossible for small businesses and the like to offer Wi-Fi access.

In the 'Explanatory Document' (http://is.gd/9w6kl) Lord Young, a minister at BIS (Department for Business Innovation & Skills), described common classes of public Wi-Fi access, and explained that none of them could be protected. Libraries {and small businesses], he said, could not be exempted because "this would send entirely the wrong signal and could lead to 'fake' organisations being set up, claiming an exemption and becoming a hub for copyright infringement". ...... More: http://is.gd/9w7nB
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Windy
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Post by Windy »

Excellent - FHL and now this

Are they intentionally destroying the tourism business in the UK or are they just incompetent?
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Post by TTP mk2 »

WASCO
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Post by WASCO »

Note, it's 'OPEN' WiFi that's the issue. As things stand, small businesses will have the option to password protect access and keep records for everyone they assign connections to.
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TTP mk2
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Post by TTP mk2 »

Windy wrote:Are they intentionally destroying the tourism business in the UK or are they just incompetent?
Incompetent & allowing the pressure groups for the entertainment industry write the legislation for them.
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Windy
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Post by Windy »

Sounds just like the ludicrous debacle about DVD concierge licences discussed here a while back :cry:
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Ben McNevis
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Post by Ben McNevis »

Bizarre! I saw on the regional news yesterday or the day before that the city of Peterborough is poised to spend a bundle of cash setting up free public Wifi covering the whole of the city centre.

Now I suppose they'll have to spend the money on councillors' expenses instead.
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