Interesting BBC NEWS story…

A recent court case, which saw a West London man fined £500 and sentenced to 12 months’ conditional discharge for hijacking a wireless broadband connection, has repercussions for almost every user of wi-fi networks.
It is believed to be the first case of its kind in the UK, but with an estimated one million wi-fi users around the country, it is unlikely to be the last.

Hmmm… what’s the legal principle here? That any unauthorised use of anything is automatically illegal? If you’re a householder and you knowingly leave your DECT phone out on the street for any passer-by to use, shouldn’t you bear some responsibility? Running an ‘open’ wireless network is an exact analogy. People shouldn’t steal cars, but we would feel less sympathy for a motorist whose car has been hijacked if it turned out that he always leaves his car unlocked with a note to that effect pinned to the windscreen.