Europe’s top court has ruled that Wi-Fi providers aren’t liable for any copyright infringements that take place on their network—it has also created uncertainty about users’ anonymity.
Businesses such as coffee shops that offer a wireless network free of charge to their customers aren’t liable for copyright infringements committed by users of that network, the ruling states—which, in part, chimes with an earlier advocate general’s opinion. But hotspot operators may be required, following a court injunction, to password-protect their Wi-Fi networks to stop or prevent such violations. (…)
The implications are obvious: no more free and anonymous Wi-Fi access in bars, cafes, or hotels in countries within the 28-member-state bloc that can now use existing law to demand that users hand over their ID first.
Ars Technica: Wi-Fi providers not liable for copyright infringements, rules top EU court »
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