January 25 - 'Unlocking' your cellphone will be illegal starting Saturday

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Users will not be able to alter their cellphones to access different networks starting Saturday. But advocacy groups are questioning the law.



Starting Jan. 26, buying and unlocking a phone will no longer be legal in the United States.

The term "unlocking" a phone means to remove the security feature that prevents the phone being used on a different network. Once a phone is unlocked, it can work on more than one carrier's network. Unlocking phones is useful for those traveling internationally because it allows phones to work on different networks.

The Librarian of Congress, who determines any exemptions to a strict anti-hacking law called the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), decided in October 2012 that unlocking cellphones would no longer be allowed. A 90-day window was provided during which people could still buy phones and unlock them.

Currently Apple sells an unlocked iPhone 5 starting at $649 and Google sells Nexus 4 unlocked for $300.

Mashable reports that the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) is questioning DMCA's right to determine who can unlock a phone.

EFF attorney Mitch Stoltz said in a letter to TechNewsDaily.com: "Arguably, locking phone users into one carrier is not at all what the DMCA was meant to do. It's up to the courts to decide."

'Unlocking' your cellphone will be illegal starting Saturday

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Why aren't more people in an uproar over this??? [pic]

wonder if you buy it unlocked from canada or china and just use it in the states?
it says buying and unlocking a phone will no longer be legal in the United States. doesn't say anything about buying and using one already done from another country [pic]

You can still buy a phone that comes pre-unlocked in the states. The law only applies to buying a phone that was already locked and unlocking it yourself, no matter where you got it from.

so I can't unlock a branded phone and take it overseas?

its MY phone i will do whatever the !! i want, they can eat a !!.

when they start handing me a phone for mutha!!in free they can tell me how to use it.

as long as "I" pay for my phone and bill i will do how i please

that is all

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What's next if I buy a ford I won't be able to get it serviced anywhere else

there are a million people who will unlock ya !! for u in ny. !! is a !!in industry here. not to mention u can do it yaself. they will never stop this.

Its not like they will activly pursue people unlocking phones, they will just add it to the list of bull!! they can charge to people when they bring them in and they have nothing else on them..... think about it.

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The Librarian of Congress must have got big kick backs to get this law p a$sed !! em

Before it was legal, people unlocked phones and never got in trouble, so people will just continue on.

this only applies to phones you purchase through a carrier, and after you fulfill your contract you can get it unlocked.


Nexus 4 FTW

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!!in ridiculous ...... how they hell are they going to tell us WE can't unlock a phone that We paid for with Our on money????

!! wont work even they do make it illegal, people will continue to do so. same with the whole dling movies,music, etc. just like Puffy said "CAN'T STOP WONT STOP" it will continue

word.. these niccas just trying to !! up the state lil by lil

these cell phone company owners are billionaires but they still want MORE money

You obviously didn't read the article.....

Yea yea yea, Ok unlocking is illegal, so is all the p!racy we indulge in on a daily basis.

FOH gubment, we will not stop.

True north strong and free!!! [pic]

- as he types this from his unlocked Samsung Galaxy Nexus...