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Unlocking your mobile phone will become a crime starting Saturday
If you’ve been on the fence about whether or not to unlock your smartphone, you might want to hurry up and make a decision one way or another. That’s because starting January 26 (this Saturday), the process will become illegal in the US thanks to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.
The law officially went into effect in October 2012 but the Librarian of Congress provided a 90 day grace period for anyone with an unlocked device to do the deed.
It goes without saying that the restriction hasn’t earned the approval of everyone – most notably, the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF).The advocacy group has questioned whether or not the Digital Millennium Copyright Act has the right to determine who can and cannot unlock a phone.
Those with certain handsets like Verizon’s iPhone 5 aren’t affected as it comes unlocked out of the box. AT&T, meanwhile, will unlock a phone once it is out of contract. Alternately, users can simply purchase an unlocked phone without a carrier subsidy although expect to pay a pretty penny for the opportunity. Unlocked iPhones start at $649 but you can get something cheaper like the Nexus 4 from Google for around $300.
At the end of the day, this really isn’t expected to have a significant impact on most users. At most, it will likely become a thorn in the side of some wireless carriers like T-Mobile that have promoted bringing unlocked handsets to their network in order to save on monthly billing.
User Comments: 34
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Xclusiveitalian said:
Do they even know if you unlock it?
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@Zill
Reguardless of what it costs to make the phones value is always much greater. Thats how they calculate potential capital lose. The carriers get the phones from the manufacture. It may only cost 120 to 180 to make but the phones value is what we the customer is charged. Its not a "shitty" move. Its a very smart move on their part if they want to keep in business. Im 100% sure they are tired of losing phones because of fraud. Now there is a recourse for the carriers. They have a chance now to recoup their loses and put the ppl in jail that caused the fraud. As roughly 25-30% of most new activations are either fraud or the customer just doesnt pay their bill and are cancelled. The phones are expensive and the carriers have been getting boned for years because of ppls dishonesty.
I think you're missing the point.
When you lease a car, It does not belong to you. You have to return it when the lease is up. It was never your property.
When you get a phone subsidized through a carrier. You agree to purchase the phone 100%. If you are negligent in your payments, or try to get out of the contract early, they bill you for the full price of the phone. You keep the phone no matter what.
You are billed the subsidized price of the phone at the start of the contract. If you leave before your contract is over, it's not the money for the phone they want, its the months remaining on your contract for cell service they are after.
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1 person liked this |wizardB said:
The US government the best government that corporate money can buy!!Sure am glad I live in a truly free country......Canada.You sold your freedom for the appearance of safety now your going to have to fight and maybe die if you ever want to wrestle it back from big content and their ilk!
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KbloodyK said:
Quick, everybody unlock your phones now!
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2 people like this |Carls999 said:
Land of the free indeed.
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Just what I thought... So they had to actually make a law to tell you to wait until your contract is over before you can unlock your phone permanently? Wow, are people really that stupid they need this clarified? Why would this EVER be legal in the first place? What benefit do you get from permanently unlocking a phone on CONTRACT before it's over? Are international customers upset about this? Well they are the minority, and if they can afford to travel overseas, they can afford to purchase an unlocked phone. Period.
Humanity is doomed. We're getting dumber not smarter.
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Just what I thought... So they had to actually make a law to tell you to wait until your contract is over before you can unlock your phone permanently? Wow, are people really that stupid they need this clarified? Why would this EVER be legal in the first place? What benefit do you get from permanently unlocking a phone on CONTRACT before it's over? Are international customers upset about this? Well they are the minority, and if they can afford to travel overseas, they can afford to purchase an unlocked phone. Period.
Humanity is doomed. We're getting dumber not smarter.
Ha Ha Ha...Noob!
Once I start a contract with a carrier, they don't care what phone I use, or even if I use a phone at all. All they care about is that I pay my monthly bill. Once I enter the contract, the phone is mine. I am legally obligated to pay out my contract. Again, the phone is mine from day one.
The only reason the carriers are pushing this law is to force you to continue to use your purchased phone with them only.
What's next, breaking your phone will be illegal too?
Just for clarification...The phone is NOT on contract. It's just subsidized. Your service is on contract. The phone is included on agreement to pay X amount for X amount of time for service, not for the phone. Cell service costs the same even if you bring your own phone to the table, but you're not locked in a contracted service that way.
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Just for clarification...The phone is NOT on contract. It's just subsidized. Your service is on contract.
I don't think so. You get the phone for cheap BECAUSE you agree to the (1-3 year) plan. Otherwise you pay full retail price. A contract is a contract is a contract. When you default, you pay the remaining of your contract (cancellation fees etc), and you keep the phone because they are asking for money to the end of your contract, not up until the time you defaulted.
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Just for clarification...The phone is NOT on contract. It's just subsidized. Your service is on contract.
I don't think so. You get the phone for cheap BECAUSE you agree to the (1-3 year) plan. Otherwise you pay full retail price. A contract is a contract is a contract. When you default, you pay the remaining of your contract (cancellation fees etc), and you keep the phone because they are asking for money to the end of your contract, not up until the time you defaulted.
My point was, once you agree to the contracted service, it shouldn't matter what happens to the phone. You're obligated to pay out your contract no matter what.
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