"Originally ray's code "latched" onto the open access point and requested an IP address just to prove the WiFi was truly open; but various laws govern connectin

"Originally ray's code "latched" onto the open access point and requested an IP address just to prove the WiFi was truly open; but various laws govern connecting anonymously to private WiFi networks, so the project was changed to simply identify their presence." Interesting, I hadn't heard about that. Are these US Laws? Is this the Richard Stanley ruling? (and just a random observation, what's the deal with the footer here? "© 1999 LiveJournal, Inc." The post seems to be from earlier this year, has LiveJournal really not updated things in that long?)