The so-called "six strikes" copyright alert system is supposed to launch sometime soon, although the exact date isn't clear. As it draws closer, the group in charge of the effort, the Center for Copyright Information (CCI), has responded to press reports, including a report from Ars, noting that the six-strikes system could hurt small businesses by throttling the speed of their Wi-Fi connections.

In a post arguing that the new alert system "will not harm public Wi-Fi," CCI director Jill Lesser writes that public Wi-Fi access such as that found in "a major coffee or restaurant chain, or at a public location like a park or transportation terminal, or even the public library" won't be included in the "six strikes" system.

However, the exemption being offered to these public spaces is premised on an assumption: that they're using more expensive, business-class Internet service. Businesses "like Starbucks that provide legitimate open Wi-Fi connections, will have an Internet that is tailored to a business operation," and thus won't be roped in to the copyright alert system.

The implication seems to be that any Internet connection that is used to make money should either be an expensive business-class connection, or it's likely not a "legitimate" account. (In our last story, a Verizon spokesperson said that running a public hotspot on a consumer-grade account is a violation of the company's terms of service.)

But plenty of home businesses and small companies do use residential Wi-Fi. Home networks are often used for both work and pleasure; and they're often shared with family, friends, or guests.

The CCI post insists that reports asserting that public Wi-Fi will be "shut down" are wrong, and that it's "simply not the case." But CCI doesn't seem to contest the reports on Ars, and elsewhere, that public spaces using cheaper Internet connections (and that is happening, whether it should be or not) may have their Internet connection slowed down to 256Kbps for days at a time.

Conversely, there's nothing to stop serious pirates from getting business-class Internet and apparently getting a pass out of this system. Some consumers are already making the choice to switch to business-class Internet service in their homes (though generally for more legitimate reasons).