Larry J. Blunk wrote:
I'm not trying to justify allowing the use of NAT where it is prohibited by a terms of service agreement and thus grounds for termination of service. However, going beyond termination of service and making this an illegal act under law (possibly punishable by a felony conviction and 4 years in prison) is an entirely different case. If you stop paying your ISP bill (thus getting several months for free until the ISP cuts you off) wouldn't that also be theft of service? Should one also be subject to a felony conviction and 4 years of prison for such an act?
If it takes a few months for the ISP to cut you off for not paying your bill, that is their own fault. Concerning someone going to jail for running NAT in breach of TOS, I find it supportable. There is precedence set with the Cable companies (using equipment to allow service to be used on more than tv's than allowed by the cable company would be equivelent here).
-Jack
Sigh. My point is this is a question of extremes and punishment commensurate with the "crime". I can understand how one could consider NAT to be "theft" under a terms of service agreement. I can even understand how one might think this should be a criminal offense (although I would disagree - consider how many ISP's consider NAT to be perfectly acceptable). However, going beyond a misdemeanor offense and a fine - advocating prison time and felony convictions - is something I simply can't understand or find supportable.