[ale] comcast static IP?

[Jim Popovitch]

On Mon, 2005-01-24 at 14:02 -0500, Jason Day wrote:
> On Sun, Jan 23, 2005 at 05:45:13PM -0500, Jim Popovitch wrote:
> > Basically an external provider has no means of enforcing terms of
> > service within my premises where they have no legal authority to
> > determine what equipment I have.  Just because someone puts words into a
> > document and calls it "Terms of Service" in no way establishes authority
> > to enforce said words.
> 
> HAH!!  You're kidding right?  

No.  Please provide documented proof that dis-proves my point.

> Have you never even looked at a software license?  

Yes.  In fact I've written two in my lifetime too.  This issue however
is totally un-related to software licenses.  But, as in anything written
on paper, it is always open to interpretation and re-interpretation. 

> I've used software before that required a dongle in the
> printer port before it would work.  Didn't matter if the vendor had the
> "right" to do that, or "legal authority to determine what equipment" I
> had.  They had a technical means of enforcing their terms of service,
> and they did so.

What is Comcast's equivalent to your software dongle?

> Of course, I had the option to reverse-engineer the dongle, or buy a
> hacked dongle and violate the license agreement.  Current laws however
> would make such activity illegal.  

Yes they would.

> Just like it is currently illegal to watch a DVD on a linux laptop.

Show me the law.

> The *only* reason that BellSouth, Comcast, etc. don't enforce the "home
> networking" charge is because they have no technical means of doing so.

What you are interpreting as "home networking" is different from my home
network.  Comcast, et.al., sell "home networking" packages that
essentially are a hardware router and/or wifi router.  Neither of which
has anything to do with me having my own and using them regardless of
whether or not there is a broadband connection.  See, I see networks as
belonging to the property owner, not the IP supplier.  Your vantage
point may differ.

> Whether thy have the "right" to enforce it does not matter.

I'm guessing that you are not a lawyer. ;-)

-Jim P.