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Unauthorized Unlocking of New Mobile Phones Set to Become Illegal in U.S.
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Librarian of congress? A single person can make such important determinations?
The current librarian of Congress is 83 years old.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_H._Billington
We let this senile old man make such important decisions? Given his age, hopefully he won't be around much longer.
The current librarian of Congress is 83 years old.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_H._Billington
We let this senile old man make such important decisions? Given his age, hopefully he won't be around much longer.
Actually, this is what government controlled by powerful corporations looks like! I'm all for government run well--by people, not by money. But money talks. Take government out of the picture or shrink it and you'd still have big money--big corporations--running the show. In fact, I'd say a WELL-run powerful government, wielding power by/for all people instead of the rich alone, is the only way to keep unreasonable power away from abusive corporations.
(Sadly, such a government is not what we have. The path to getting one begins, I feel, with a multiple-vote system, thus breaking the stagnant two-party system. Some cities use such a system already. They work!)
You will not find any unlocking service sold on ebay since last week. By legit, you mean it worked and not that it's legal after the law comes into effect.
YES WE CAN!
....label you a criminal for unlocking your phone for use in other countries, or for use on other networks.
....label you a criminal for unlocking your phone for use in other countries, or for use on other networks.
You won't be able to modify the software to perform an unauthorized unlock. However, that doesn't mean you won't be able to unlock phones within the terms of the contract.
That said, the entire DMCA is a bad law that should be repealed. This should be a simple matter of ordinary contract enforcement, not a criminal matter.
I thought Apple was more interesting in selling their products and not what people do with them.
Once I have paid my money I will do whatever I like with the product, if I break it that's my problem.
Once I have paid my money I will do whatever I like with the product, if I break it that's my problem.
This has very little to do with Apple, if you actually read the article. I'm sure Apple would be much happier without the tangle of carrier-related BS that comes with selling phones.
But how did we get here in the first place?
The rationale given is this
"... in light of carriers' current unlocking policies and the ready availability of new unlocked phones in the marketplace..."
but didn't the current unlocking policies only come about because unlocking was specifically declared legal?
The rationale given is this
"... in light of carriers' current unlocking policies and the ready availability of new unlocked phones in the marketplace..."
but didn't the current unlocking policies only come about because unlocking was specifically declared legal?
How does this help anyone?
Even while in a contract, being unlocked does not mean you can stop paying for service. In fact, it would seem the carriers would like it as they get their money without having to supply service!
Of all things to work on, our gov't does this? WTF
Even while in a contract, being unlocked does not mean you can stop paying for service. In fact, it would seem the carriers would like it as they get their money without having to supply service!
Of all things to work on, our gov't does this? WTF
I am 74 years old and can remember when our beautiful country was free.
The corporations have taken over and now we live in a Fascist country. You younger ones do not know what you are missing in quality of life. Freedom was very very good. Video cameras everywhere, Homeland security agency, torture of prisoners, largest prison population by several times in the world, etc.
The corporations have taken over and now we live in a Fascist country. You younger ones do not know what you are missing in quality of life. Freedom was very very good. Video cameras everywhere, Homeland security agency, torture of prisoners, largest prison population by several times in the world, etc.
Uhhh....
Did anyone else actually read the article?
AT&T will still unlock your phone at the end of your contract, Verizon phones come unlocked and Sprint will unlock them after three months.
Anyone who doesn't find this acceptable can still purchase an unlocked iPhone. I don't quite understand why everyone is up in arms about this.
It makes a lot of sense to me. Your phone is locked to a carrier because you signed a contract to pay them every month for two years. I know some people would be nice and stay on contract and just need an unlocked phone for their travels overseas. In my experience, most times the carrier is more than accommodating if you say "I've been an *** customer for X years and I need my phone to work on local carriers when I travel to the Brazil every four weeks."
Anytime I've seen one of these unlock services, it is always sketchy and often has questionable scruples. I can't think of a good scenario, in the iPhone environment we currently live in, where unlocking would be used for anything but subverting a system.
ETA: Oh, and AT&T will unlock the phone of any deployed member of military service and any phone that's bought at full price. Bottom line, only reason for the unofficial unlocking services is for people who want to cheat the system and buy a phone for less than it retails.
Did anyone else actually read the article?
AT&T will still unlock your phone at the end of your contract, Verizon phones come unlocked and Sprint will unlock them after three months.
Anyone who doesn't find this acceptable can still purchase an unlocked iPhone. I don't quite understand why everyone is up in arms about this.
It makes a lot of sense to me. Your phone is locked to a carrier because you signed a contract to pay them every month for two years. I know some people would be nice and stay on contract and just need an unlocked phone for their travels overseas. In my experience, most times the carrier is more than accommodating if you say "I've been an *** customer for X years and I need my phone to work on local carriers when I travel to the Brazil every four weeks."
Anytime I've seen one of these unlock services, it is always sketchy and often has questionable scruples. I can't think of a good scenario, in the iPhone environment we currently live in, where unlocking would be used for anything but subverting a system.
ETA: Oh, and AT&T will unlock the phone of any deployed member of military service and any phone that's bought at full price. Bottom line, only reason for the unofficial unlocking services is for people who want to cheat the system and buy a phone for less than it retails.
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Moshe, the point is that the very process you describe is what will become illegal (unless the unlocking is authorized by the carrier).
So I get a phone and leave AT&T PAY for the early termination fee essentially paying for the phone and I can't unlock it? Another senseless law.
These are the carriers' current policies, but there's nothing to stop them from changing this if the regulatory environment shifts toward heavy-handed enforcement of carrier locks. Given a favorable environment, it's in the carriers' interest (or so they seem to think) to increase customers' switching costs as much as possible.
And your still paying them are you not? Even if you unlock the phone to use with another carrier, you're still tied into the contract so you still have to pay them for the duration of that contract. This just sounds like a part of your freedom is being taken away unnecessarily at the behest of some large corporation. **** them. If everyone unlocks, what they gonna do? Imprison everyone? Fine everyone? I say dick with them on purpose, for the sport.
I think they mentioned that if you pay the fee you can unlock it... might want to read the article in full..