Unlocking smartphones without permission illegal in US after 01/25/13

[MoodyBlues]

Thoughts on this? I think it sucks!

Unlocking smartphones without permission illegal after Friday.

By Salvador Rodriguez

January 25, 2013, 2:50 p.m.

A change to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act that makes it illegal for consumers to unlock their mobile devices without the permission of their carrier goes into effect Saturday.

Carriers lock smartphones -- which they typically subsidize in the U.S. -- as a way to prevent their customers from getting a cellular plan with a different company.

Users unlock phones when they want to switch carriers, sometimes after the phone's original contract has run out, or so they can use it when going abroad.

The change was made because the Librarian of Congress determined that consumers have a number of alternatives to unlocking devices, including buying devices that come already unlocked.

Users who want to unlock their devices before it becomes illegal at midnight can head over to iFixit, which opposes the change and has a variety of links on how to unlock phones.

"For many users, unlocking a phone is a necessary fix, opening up a feature and freedom that people need to effectively use their devices," a blog post by iFixit says. "The Copyright Office

 

[9to5cynic]

Not the first law I disagree with. Also not the first law that I would have no objection breaking. And, strangely, not the first time I thought our laws are in serious need of overhaul.

 

[argedion]

I should have the freedom to unlock my phone if I choose to and I do. However the article seems to be geared toward buying a phone from one company and using it with another. While I can't say yeah or na on this I can say that We should not have to be locked into phones that only our carrier has. Where is the freedom of choice there? I have a rooted phone because well hell I can. I have a carrier phone and have stayed with the carrier why well hell because I can. If we allow them to keep taking our rights away even as consumers it will never stop. We must fight this and the rest of the ridiculous laws that hinder us from being free.

 

[Musky]

I don't see this posted before, but if it was, my apologies. I'm trying to understand just what is now illegal? Does this include rooting?

New law

EDIT: Changed links, hope this one works better.

 

[BRAINZ2013]

The link is messed up it closes asap when open

 

[jhawkkw]

It seems to me that the government is contradicting itself. They upheld the idea that we are allowed to root/jailbreak our phones legally (though still nay on tablets), which is obviously a bigger security risk than sim unlocking. In this ruling, to me, the government says we own our phones and thus this is our right. This new law/decision to me says that the carriers own our devices and we're just leasing them, even if we buy them outright without the subsidy. So which is it?

 

[biz123]

What is your opinion on the phone unlocking ban?

Do you think it's fair or a good law?

P.S.

I'm making a video montage of people's opinions about the new law. So if you'd like to be included in the video montage, please record yourself and send me a private message.

 

[AwesomePie85]

From what I've read it's only unlocking the phone to switch the networks. So you buy the phone from [x] company but unlock it and use it on [y] company. Unlocking bootloaders and rooting is still good.

 

[jhawkkw]

Merged similar threads. Thanks for understanding.

 

[Rxpert83]

Merged similar threads. Thanks for understanding.

Another one just cropped up in the android lounge

 

[Davdi]

It's the way it was introduced that's fundamentally wrong. NO debate or vote anywhere to be seen. All to prop up an increasingly broken business model.
Anyway, once out of contract, why should the carrier care what you do with your old phone? In the UK, Carphone Warehouse sells mainly unlocked phones, with whatever SIM you choose (No CDMA over here).

I'm on Virgin Mobile, and currently have 2 phones on contract. For the main one , as a Virgin Broadband/Tivo customer, for

 

[Liamo_210]

Another one just cropped up in the android lounge

I say a few of these will be popping up around the place.

 

[necromage9]

I'm wondering if the passage of this law only makes switching carriers illegal; does it extend to getting your devices S-OFF or unlocking the boot loader?

 

[jhawkkw]

I'm wondering if the passage of this law only makes switching carriers illegal; does it extend to getting your devices S-OFF or unlocking the boot loader?

It seems that it only refers to the unlocking of your device for use on other carriers. Rooting and unlocking the bootloader seem to still be fair game, legal wise. Carriers will say different

 

[BRAINZ2013]

Now i have a question on this law . Now since some tablets are under this phone tower if you can unlock a tablet does this apply. And how is this showing up on the phone company cause i been told that the phone maker is not connected with the phone company . For example the samsung s3 is sold under 3 companies if i buy tmobile and decide to unlock and use on at&t how will they know.samsung say the phone carrier is a third wheel

 

[Liamo_210]

I'm wondering if the passage of this law only makes switching carriers illegal; does it extend to getting your devices S-OFF or unlocking the boot loader?

You can still root your phone and you can still switch carriers by getting your carrier to unlock the phone.

 

[necromage9]

You all have probably heard of this by now, and frankly i got a little worried when I read the news this morning. As the link here will show you, it has now become illegal to unlock cellphones and your carrier could potentially turn you in (although the chances are very slim) if they detect an unlocked device.

What I wanted to know is whether this ban is only limited to unlocking phones and switching carriers or whether it also affects things like getting S-OFF or unlocking the boot loader

 

[BRAINZ2013]

The only thing metro and sprint stopped that unlocking a year ago

 

[Hadron]

There's a longer thread about this in the Lounge here: http://androidforums.com/lounge/681...s-without-permission-illegal-after-today.html.

 

[wer]

You all have probably heard of this by now, and frankly i got a little worried when I read the news this morning. As the link here will show you, it has now become illegal to unlock cellphones and your carrier could potentially turn you in (although the chances are very slim) if they detect an unlocked device.

What I wanted to know is whether this ban is only limited to unlocking phones and switching carriers or whether it also affects things like getting S-OFF or unlocking the boot loader

This only applies to unlocking your phone for another carrier.

 

[ramjet73]

There's a pretty comprehensive article about this here, and it really doesn't sound like it's much to get excited about. There are still provisions to buy unlocked devices, get them unlocked by the carrier, or unlock them yourself if they don't. And it has nothing to do with unlocking bootloaders to get root and S-OFF.

ramjet73

 

[davidmargolin]

this is only for switching carriers... unlocking bootloaders is justified...

 

[Kamau]

I'm sure passing a law making it illegal to unlock a phone will have as much effect as passing a law making it illegal to download copyrighted material did.

 

[MoodyBlues]

From the article I quoted, this puzzles me:

The change was made because the Librarian of Congress determined that consumers have a number of alternatives to unlocking devices, including buying devices that come already unlocked.

So is it just me who thinks, wait, what if I have a perfectly good device that I spent a lot of money on but want to switch carriers? I should just toss it and spend MORE MONEY buying a different phone? Why?

 

[Liamo_210]

From the article I quoted, this puzzles me:


So is it just me who thinks, wait, what if I have a perfectly good device that I spent a lot of money on but want to switch carriers? I should just toss it and spend MORE MONEY buying a different phone? Why?

No your supposed to contact your carrier and ask them to unlock it. Depending on how much you spent with them they may charge you or unlock it for free.