Mastering the Internet

[Roland Perry]

In article <4A3A26969DB248F69285F9CFA21BFFDC@london.neos.tv>, Tom 
Thomson <cmt@btinternet.com> writes
>Maybe I'm crazy, but I think that if someone delivers a bottle of beer into
>my drawing room he has made the beer available to me - whether I have opened
>the bottle or not.  I don't understand what sort of convoluted logic you
>have used to reach a different conclusion.  Apparently you want to say that
>when he puts the bottle on the table he hasn't yet made the beer available
>to me, but some time later, when I open the bottle, he has by magic (or some
>other means) and without any further action on his part made the beer
>available.

It's not a valid analogy. What the law says [I claim] is equivalent (in 
ordinary English) to "I'm delivering content to you" plus a side order 
of "or you are free to come and inspect/collect it".

What doesn't include is the situation: "I have a collection/inspection 
system in place, but you are currently unable to use it". Because, other 
considerations apart, that's exactly what an intercept-ready system is; 
and they aren't illegal. Only using them, unauthorised, is illegal.
-- 
Roland Perry