Unlocking Cell Phones in U.S. to Become Illegal January 26

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Gee, I'm going to get in trouble for this fairly often. My company makes cellular network equipment, so we're always scrounging whatever phones we can find, unlocking them, and using them on our lab network.

I guess we should just go out of business!
 
[citation][nom]carbon12[/nom]Reading comprehension fail... 😵It is not illegal to purchase or be in possession of an unlocked handset... it is illegal to engage in the process of unlocking the handset.[/citation]

Right. In the real world it means that they will only go after people who offer to unlock your phone for a fee.
 
Meanwhile intel is closing the door on building your own pc and landline phones becoming a thing of the past. I miss palm. This is not the way I wanted my handheld pc future to be.
 
[citation][nom]blurr91[/nom]Yes, corporations pay politicians to pass laws that favor them. So do labor unions. It's only natural to bribe those in power to do stuff for you. No one ever bribes me. Why not? I don't have the power to control anything.Take powers away from government and this kind of disgusting behavior will stop.Governmentis not the solution to our problems. Government IS the PROBLEM.[/citation]


Ok, so let's assume we go with your logic. Remove government from the equation and the private sector comes up with such practices anyway leaving you with out any recourse then what do you do? Also, who the enforces and gives patents if you remove governments power.

I think the private sector actually is the one convincing you that Government is a problem, because, government is the 1 place you are guaranteed a vote in order to theoritically have your voice heard, however, you have no votes on corporate boards. You are to silly to see that government is the people and is the one entity that gives the people some semblence of the power, otherwise, in the age of mega corporations who can sway markets with ease ... remove govenrment and they really will get to do whatever they want, leaving you with no recourse.

I can't believe how you can't see this, actually. That government is the one entity that gives you any hope of power if you excercise your rights ... you are the government, it's not a foreign entity , it is us.
 
What's wrong of unlocking a cell phone? What does it do that makes it illegal? It's just allows the phone to use on other carriers. What is wrong with that? Stupid politicians.
 
[citation][nom]bak0n[/nom]Only thing I can think of is:1. You don't usually have the phone "paid for" until the end of your contract period[/citation]
You "paid for" that phone when you signed (and locked yourself into) the contract.
 
making unlocking phones ilegal is retarded. but even more retarded is that they approved a 90 day limit that you can unlock it. this proves that the asshats dont know what theyre doing. its ok to unlock a phone when you buy it, but it isnt ok after this amount of time? why? what reason is there for it to be ilegal after 90 days? librarian of congress, do youre homework dude -_-
 
[citation][nom]Hando567[/nom]Yay for the corporations running our government! This is going to help NO ONE except the carriers, who are ripping us off already with their ridiculous data charges. I love my country but hate my government. Actually that is a lie, I hate my country too because it is full of morons who let this shit go. Before anyone says anything, yes, I did actually call my congressman, not that that will do anything since I don't have a few million to give them like big corporations do.I think its about time the US does away with corporate lobbying. It needs to be illegal for a corporation, or a representative of corporations to give money to the gov't. And any politician who violates this needs to be immediately fined and removed from their position.[/citation]

I agree with you. Unfortunately, the people that need to make that illegal are the ones getting the lobby.
 
Hmm this all sounds strange to me. I live in Denmark and it is illegal for the service providers to make contracts that last more than 6 months and most computer shops sell unlocked phones cheaper than the service providers, you of course have to pay all the money at once.
I know in Germany it is illegal for the service providers to sell a phone without offering the option to buy a unlocked one.
 
[citation][nom]g00fysmiley[/nom]if you are buying your phone... then why can't you do what you want with it assumign you care not committig a crime with it? .... pointless legislation is pointless[/citation]

coz you get locked phones at lower price than usual ..

you can allways buy unlocked phone for full price.
 
Government and organizations in the USA are rotten to the core!!! Statue of Liberty should be demolished, has no meaning.
Instead, could grow up a whole new Statue of Terror and Restricting Human Rights 😉
 
Fine, make it illegal to unlock an in-contract phone, but make it a legal requirement for a carrier to unlock it (free of charge) when the contract expires (and you've paid off your phone, and its now 100% yours)
 
[citation][nom]unoriginal1[/nom]I worked in the cell phone industry for a few years.This is why. Phone cost at total retail value. $800. Phone cost at 2 year contract value. $199. Cost of Early Termination Fee of contract. $150 (depends on phone now adays). So whats stopping someone from buying the phone 2 year contract, then ending the contract and going to a different carrier. (not being able to unlock it ). So as you can see they do it so they don't lose money. There was a HUGE HUGE inflation of people that would buy iphones (when it was locked to AT&T only) End their contract and sell the phones jailbreak the phones and sell them on ebay for a huge profit. On the other hand. Where there's push, there's pull. They do abuse this system and after a certain period i think your phone should be allowed to be unlocked. What i don't understand about this article is it says it'll be "legal" within 90 day time frame.. How the hell are they going to be able to tell?[/citation]

Obviously you worked at the bottom of the chain... these phones cost next to nothing for major telcos. With bulk orders from manufacturer those top-tier phones would only cost a fraction of retail price.

90 days months worth of paid service.... they will pretty much break even by then if you cancel.
 
And a damn good thing it as well. My pastor has condemmned this behaviour, and spoken of its immorality on many occasions. I hope capital punishment will be considered as the appropriate penalty.
 
"while AT&T will unlock a handset when its contract has expired"

So it is fine for a corporation to do it but not the owner of the phone? Sorry AT&T I am not leasing the phone I own it. What I choose to do with my property is my own business as long as I am not infinging on someone else's right. This is a silly law and bound to be overturned by the courts.
 
[citation][nom]Hando567[/nom]I think its about time the US does away with corporate lobbying. It needs to be illegal for a corporation, or a representative of corporations to give money to the gov't. And any politician who violates this needs to be immediately fined and removed from their position.[/citation]
In several countries it's illegal but they always find a way... After all money laundry is nothing too complex.
 


There's more to it then the "cost" of the device that people are not seeing. I wouldn't say I was at the bottom but I certainly wasn't at the top either.

You've got Advertising costs, Tower repair, Upgrade costs (edge to 3g, 3g to 4g etc). You've got customer support cost, Store front cost the list goes on and on. It's not as simple as the phone cost XX and we get that money back in XX.

My numbers weren't meant to be taken literal. Just giving an example for people to think outside of the box a bit.
 


won't somebody think of the mega-corps?!
 
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