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In that case, Bruce Schneier is a genius... By publicizing his open wireless network, he has an excuse to download whatever he wants. And if the prosecution w

• ErrantX 16y ago
  He admits there, though, that he is playing the law of averages (and is probably correct in thinking he is pretty safe). His assertion that it is a usable defence is, I think, pretty groundless according to legal commentary around that article.
• roel_v 16y ago
  Your assertion doesn't follow from the article. Like the other commenter remarked, Schneier is merely saying that because of the large amount of open wireless netwokrs, the chances that he's the one that'll be caught are so small that the risk outweighs the benefits. Secondly, Schneier (as knowledgeable about crypto and security in general as he is) is in no position to be an expert witness on the interpretation of legal concepts like whether or not this liability exists in the present case. Even worse, by publicizing this article, he is basically making it public that he knows about the dangers yet deliberately ignores it, and thus enables eventual wrongdoers. I think he should talk his lawyer friends again that he mentions in the article to assess the potential extra damage he's doing to himself by publishing this. In effect it's what I mentioned in another comment above about people who are technically adept and therefore will be held to a higher standard. He's handing the (hypothetical) opposition their argument on a silver platter.