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PC Library forced to change Wi-Fi rules due to piracy

The Phillips County Library has updated and revised its Internet Policy due to copyright violations during the use of the wireless internet that the library has provided to the community since 2011.

Until recently the library's wireless internet access was provided 24-hours a day, without password protection, and there were no issues. Unfortunately, a person or people in the recent past stole and illegally downloaded copies of movies onto a personal device after the library was closed using the library's Wi-Fi.

The library received letters from the companies that the movies were stolen from, threatening fines of up to $250,000 for each movie stolen because it was the library's wireless service that was used. This has required the library to make an expensive upgrade to our wireless server in order to protect the library.

We have now changed the Wi-Fi so that it is password protected and only on during the hours that the library is open. Patrons using the wireless service are required to come to the circulation desk and get the password to access the service. The password will not be given out over the phone. The library board and library director have decided that everyone using the library's internet, whether on library owned computers or not, are now required to read the new Internet Policy and sign up again for internet use.

Parents and guardians of under legal age children that have previously used the internet will need to come to the library and sign an updated authorization for them to continue use. We regret the inconvenience that this has caused to many of our patrons that enjoyed the use of the library's Internet service.

 

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