OT: Wardriving police: password protect your wireless, or face a fine

[Amedee Van Gasse (ub)]

On Tue, May 18, 2010 19:11, Nils Kassube wrote:
> Fred A. Miller wrote:
>> Wardriving police: password protect your wireless, or face a fine
>> <http://ct.zdnet.com/clicks?t=542715556-f09aff1f3240c763b781087d83996
>> fa3-bf&brand=ZDNET&s=5>
>>
>> Internet users in Germany, whose wireless networks are left password
>> unprotected, can be fined up to 100 euros, according to a recent
>> ruling by Germany's top criminal court.
>
> Except, there is no wardriving police in Germany because an open WLAN
> isn't criminal here. And the police can't knock on your door and collect
> ¤100 because what the article calls a fine is the lawyers fee for
> sending a cease and desist letter. Some time ago a new law was passed
> which limits this fee to ¤100 for simple cases. With the ruling of a
> file sharing case the top court (BGH) took the opportunity to remind
> lawyers and lower courts that file sharing cases are such simple cases.
>
> Anyway, IMHO the blog post mixes several news of the last years from all
> over the world related to WLAN only to make a sensational headline.

Have you contacted the author of the article about this? I think you should.