Silicon.com's Tony Hallett today looks at the legal risks inherent in naming a Wi-Fi network.

"The increasing trend of naming Wi-Fi networks to promote a web site or physical location such as a shop opens up network owners to the risk of libel actions -- just as if they were putting out a newsletter or publishing a web site," Hallett writes. "Last week it emerged that around one per cent of Wi-Fi networks in London are being named not only to identify them as a way to get online -- indeed, some are closed off to public use, requiring a password -- but for publicity purposes. The trend is slightly more advanced in other parts of Europe."

The point, Hallett says, is that it's okay to name your network "This coffee shop is the best," but you open yourself up to a libel suit if you name your network "[Rival Cafe X] will make you ill."

It may seem obvious, but Ashley Hurst of the law firm Olswang says it's an issue that every hotspot owner should keep in mind...