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  • Unlocking Cell phones

    is now illegal .

    Unlocking a phone frees it from restrictions that keep the device from working on more than one carrier's network, allowing it run on other networks that use the same wireless standard. This can be useful to international travelers who need their phones to work on different networks. Other people just like the freedom of being able to switch carriers as they please.
    I'm lost without a paddle and headed up SH*T creek.
    -- Life Sucks Then You Die.


    "I'll believe corp. are people when Texas executes one."

  • #2
    From what I understand, the purpose of locking is to force the customer to stay with the carrier for the contract period, but I can see a few legitimate reasons to unlock during this period. For example, someone goes on vacation to Europe, and wants to use their (familiar) phone with a pre-paid SIM card rather than face the roaming rates. So long as they're still paying their monthly bill, what business is it of the carrier's? After all, they agreed to buy the carrier's service for a set period, but they DIDN'T agree to NOT buy anyone else's service during the same time.

    Also, one that I heard about a few years back, some carriers (AT&T was mentioned), if you brought your own (unlocked) phone with you when you signed up, they'd (without anything in the contract saying they could) lock it "over the air" (i.e. not a requirement to have their tech "enable" the phone for their service - one day you'd find that your phone was locked, without it ever being in their physical possession). You can be sure that carriers doing this wouldn't unlock your phone on request at the end of the contract.
    Any fool can piss on the floor. It takes a talented SC to shit on the ceiling.

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    • #3
      Well technically, they're only doing this to phones that are under the original contract... as in phones that they give away (or charge discounted fees for) in exchange for a 2 year contract. After the contract expires - OR if you buy a full price/no contract phone - the phone is unlocked by the carrier.

      So technically the carrier could take action in my opinion.

      Why it's under the "Digital Millennium Copyright Act" however does somewhat confuse me.

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      • #4
        Quoth PepperElf View Post

        Why it's under the "Digital Millennium Copyright Act" however does somewhat confuse me.
        The DMCA covers all Digital Rights Management and Circumvention of Access Control Measures. Jailbreaking falls under that second part.

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        • #5
          Quoth Chanlin View Post
          The DMCA covers all Digital Rights Management and Circumvention of Access Control Measures. Jailbreaking falls under that second part.
          ah, so it's a "control" thing. figures.

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          • #6
            Quoth PepperElf View Post
            ah, so it's a "control" thing. figures.
            What else do you expect out of the DMCA? That's all that it is.
            I AM the evil bastard!
            A+ Certified IT Technician

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