Photocopying a textbook
Instead of asking if someone has ever photocopied a book, a more appropriate approach would be to ask who has never done it. If you’re among the people in the first group, did you know by photocopying some textbook, you were actually breaking a federal law? No? Neither did the rest of us.
According to Stanford University Libraries, it turns out that photocopying can be considered reproducing copies of the work and a violation of the copyright law. The number of pages you copy is of less importance; what really matters is how you use the copyrighted text. If you use it “for a limited and ‘transformative’ purpose, such as to comment upon, criticize, or parody a copyrighted work,” you can photocopy away, according to Stanford University Libraries. If not, you can expect some unpleasant consequences.
Piggybacking someone’s wireless network
Is using a Wi-Fi connection without permission considered theft? Kind of. You might not see any harm in leeching on to someone else’s Wi-Fi connection, but it could be a serious criminal offense, especially if you slow down someone’s connection, increase their bill or cause some kind of harm or loss.
According to the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act enacted in 1986, accessing someone else’s computer systems, including routers, without permission is considered a federal crime and can be punished accordingly. Although authorities rarely seem to enforce piggybacking rules, the risk of being caught, prosecuted, or jailed is still there. Are you willing to take such a risk?
