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Cell phone unlocking to be legalized in the United States

05 March, 2013 | Read the news | Post your comment
Cell phone unlocking to be legalized in the United States - read the full textBack in October of last year, the Librarian of Congress decided to remove cell phone unlocking from the exceptions to the DMCA list, effectively rendering it illegal. The decision came into effect on January 26 of this year, forcing users to stay with a given carrier even after their original...

 

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Guns are legal.. and gun users can buy bullets from any store..

Yet not for locked phones..

How strange. 0_0

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  • 2013-03-05 14:00
  • vjrR

> In reply to iawnaek @ 2013-03-05 12:41 from sF{W - click to readUSA is so yesterday!!lol

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  • 2013-03-05 13:55
  • Iabe

its good to see that common sense has prevailed here, of course it took a petition to overthrow this silly ruling but also goes to show that governments are not totally out of touch and can be persuaded.
i failed to see the benefits of this law being passed in January anyway, if a person buys a phone on a contract, and decides to change provider he is still paying the first provider bill anyway for the remainder of the term, so in what sense would the company lose out, they will still get the arranged payment each month for the phone, and after say 6 months of the contract the phone will have depreciated and there for the phone companies will actually make a small profit on the sale

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  • 2013-03-05 13:34
  • 3xN{

so everything is forbidden in america atm? why do people still stay on that awfull country wich is like a prison

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  • 2013-03-05 13:28
  • mA%7

Locking of smartphone/device by carrier should be made illegal in the 1st place. I wonder who are the carriers in the US who proposed to the Whitehouse to make locking legal. The Whitehouse is also one of a kind, the carrier propose, they just agree without thinking what the general public wants. US carriers are plain nuts. Developed country but underdevelop mind. Duh.......

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  • 2013-03-05 13:19
  • ibn%

in South africa it is called mobile number portability and has been there for almost 2 years now. so to hear it is not in the US is weird

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  • 2013-03-05 12:54
  • NhtS

> In reply to Anonymous @ 2013-03-05 12:36 from MX@T - click to readWith all the jailbreaking going on, you're in the minority league. Sim-free smartphones cannot be locked by the sim card provider anyway

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  • 2013-03-05 12:43
  • SgvH

Finally, a small step forward for America. Congrats to all Americans.

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  • 2013-03-05 12:41
  • sF{W

Was about time for America to wake up. They still have allot to do. But this is a small kick in the arsch start.

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  • 2013-03-05 12:37
  • L7eP

Don't see the point. Devices without locking are sold already and are more expensive therefore. Legalized unlocking will just diminish the the market for locked devices

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  • 2013-03-05 12:36
  • MX@T
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