Peachy Posted January 27, 2013 Share Posted January 27, 2013 Unless you already own an unlocked phone it will now be illegal to unlock your own device in the U.S. Changes to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act can be made every three years and back in October the Librarian of Congress decided that unlocking cell phones should be no more. Apparently, carriers are still able to sell you "their" unlocked phones with a few provisos, but Americans had 90 days to unlock their own phones before the changes went into effect today. Also, in a rather absurd regulation, you are still allowed to jailbreak your phone, but not your tablet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest LilBambi Posted January 27, 2013 Share Posted January 27, 2013 Yes, that is sad news! But there is a petition to make the temporary ruling permanent below: https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/make-unlocking-cell-phones-legal/1g9KhZG7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
securitybreach Posted January 27, 2013 Share Posted January 27, 2013 Yeah but unlocking is not the same thing as rooting a device. Unlocking is so that you can us the device under a different (compatible) network. For instance if I had an ATT phone but wanted to use it on Tmobile, I would either have to request an unlock code (from the carrier) or unlock it myself. Also, unlocking a device is a lot more difficult than rooting a phone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ross549 Posted January 27, 2013 Share Posted January 27, 2013 Of course, carriers are still free to offer unlocked handsets themselves, and some will also unlock them for you as long as certain conditions are met. Phones can still be unlocked, with permission from the carrier. Adam 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crp Posted January 27, 2013 Share Posted January 27, 2013 I would love to see a carrier sue someone for unlocking their own phone in Federal Court and the carrier's response to the judge asking "are you nuts?". And who determines if a device is a phone or a tablet? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
therock247uk Posted January 27, 2013 Share Posted January 27, 2013 very sad news indeed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest LilBambi Posted January 27, 2013 Share Posted January 27, 2013 Yes, but you shouldn't need permission to unlock your phone to use on another carrier. I suggest that petition could prove very important in being able to let the White House know we shouldn't have to ask or pay to have our phones unlocked. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ross549 Posted January 27, 2013 Share Posted January 27, 2013 Unlocking was only excluded for a time from the DMCA. I don't think a ban on unlocking will last. In any case, AT&T will unlock a phone willingly provided you are not under contract on the line and your account is in good standing. Adam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
therock247uk Posted January 27, 2013 Share Posted January 27, 2013 if you pay 100 or 200 £ on a phone you should be able to do what you like with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
securitybreach Posted January 27, 2013 Share Posted January 27, 2013 Try $500-800 in the US for an unlocked phone unless you manage to buy a Nexus phone and then it is around $300. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crp Posted January 28, 2013 Share Posted January 28, 2013 not to stir a hornets nest, but if the rule is you are not allowed to unlock your own phone device why are you allowed to alter your pc BIOS? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest LilBambi Posted January 28, 2013 Share Posted January 28, 2013 Groan...please don't give them any more ideas, crp! They already have UEFI... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abarbarian Posted January 29, 2013 Share Posted January 29, 2013 http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2013/01/the-most-ridiculous-law-of-2013-so-far-it-is-now-a-crime-to-unlock-your-smartphone/272552/ This is now the law of the land: ADVISORY BY DECREE OF THE LIBRARIAN OF CONGRESS IT SHALL HENCEFORCE BE ORDERED THAT AMERICANS SHALL NOT UNLOCK THEIR OWN SMARTPHONES. PENALTY: In some situations, first time offenders may be fined up to $500,000, imprisoned for five years, or both. For repeat offenders, the maximum penalty increases to a fine of $1,000,000, imprisonment for up to ten years, or both.* Every three years groups like the American Foundation for the Blind have to lobby Congress to protect an exception for the blind allowing for books to be read aloud. Can you imagine a more ridiculous regulation than one that requires a lobby group for the blind to come to Capitol Hill every three years to explain that the blind still can't read books on their own and therefore need this exception? Blimey I knew you folks over the pond were pretty strange. Your politicians are just barking mad. Mind you the lunatics we have over here running the assylum used to charge blind folks full whack for their tv licences till only a few years ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ross549 Posted January 29, 2013 Share Posted January 29, 2013 It should be noted again (and I don't think I saw this in the article) that it is illegal to unlock without the carrier's permission. AT&T will unlock your phone for you by request, if you have satisfied your contract and your account is in good standing. It is a fine point, but it is significant. Adam 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crp Posted January 29, 2013 Share Posted January 29, 2013 It should be noted again (and I don't think I saw this in the article) that it is illegal to unlock without the carrier's permission. AT&T will unlock your phone for you by request, if you have satisfied your contract and your account is in good standing. It is a fine point, but it is significant. Adam Good luck on getting a phone unlocked while the phone is still in the exclusive rights stage. What really frosts me is that this idiocy applies even if a non-subsidized phone is purchased. And who is to say that the device is not a small tablet? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
securitybreach Posted January 29, 2013 Share Posted January 29, 2013 Good luck on getting a phone unlocked while the phone is still in the exclusive rights stage. What really frosts me is that this idiocy applies even if a non-subsidized phone is purchased. And who is to say that the device is not a small tablet? Especially with the larger phones 4+ inch phones and tablets with sim cards slots... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ross549 Posted January 29, 2013 Share Posted January 29, 2013 http://www.att.com/esupport/article.jsp?sid=KB414532&cv=820&title=What%20are%20the%20eligibility%20requirements%20for%20unlocking%20iPhone%3F#fbid=5-3hu9SQV40 Granted, this is for iphones. Adam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ross549 Posted January 29, 2013 Share Posted January 29, 2013 Doing so before your contract expires now puts you in violation of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. The reason that cell phones are cheaper when you buy them under contract is that the carrier is paying the difference in the price of the phone, expecting that they’ll earn that money back over the course of the contract. The list price for my phone was $699.99, but with a carrier subsidy, I only paid $50. AT&T paid $650 to Samsung so that I would use their service for two years, and over that time they can reasonably expect to make much more than that from me. http://www.geekosyst...o-unlock-phone/ Emphasis mine. Adam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crp Posted January 29, 2013 Share Posted January 29, 2013 (edited) http://www.geekosyst...o-unlock-phone/ Emphasis mine. Adam I don't / wouldn't have an issue with not being allowed to unlock a subsidized phone as part of a contract, but to have DMCA used to prevent unlocking and even on a non-subsidized phone Edited January 29, 2013 by crp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ross549 Posted January 29, 2013 Share Posted January 29, 2013 Aren't most non-subsidized phones already unlocked? Adam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest LilBambi Posted January 29, 2013 Share Posted January 29, 2013 No Adam. That is not always the case. Not even most of the time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
therock247uk Posted January 30, 2013 Share Posted January 30, 2013 every single phone ive owned has been locked no matter how much it was. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunrat Posted January 30, 2013 Share Posted January 30, 2013 I would have thought this would already be covered by contract law, and be a condition of the contract when you sign up for a plan. To invoke separate legislation as well seems like a waste of congress time. And "fined up to $500,000, imprisoned for five years, or both" - sheesh it's not like murder or drug smuggling! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crp Posted January 30, 2013 Share Posted January 30, 2013 how does an iPad get damaged so badly in a new box when shipped? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
securitybreach Posted February 12, 2013 Share Posted February 12, 2013 question: does repairing a broke phone and installing ios back on it count as jailbreak? Not for sure but jailbreaking and rooting are not the same as unlocking. Unlocking a phone is done so that you can use the phone with a different carrier on a compatible network. For instance, using a Tmobile phone on an AT&T network or using a Verizon phone on Sprint. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
therock247uk Posted February 12, 2013 Share Posted February 12, 2013 question: does repairing a broke phone and installing ios back on it count as jailbreak? id say no. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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