Has anyone seen this yet?
Apparently its going to be illegal to unlock your cellphone if you purchase it from a carrier instead of outright buying an unlocked phone.
http://consumerist.com/2013/01/25/a...roviders-permission-to-unlock-new-cellphones/
I think we should all sign this petition
Webstas, none of my post below is directed at you. I can see how it would come off that way. That is not my intention at all.
Let's read a bit more into this. It is NOT going to be illegal for you to unlock your phone. It WILL be if you do it without the permission of your carrier. That means that T-Mobile and AT&T will have to do it for you. For Verizon (and Maybe Sprint but not sure), there is an FCC requirement that any devices utilizing 700MHz for LTE cannot be locked.
In your link, it states:
So what that all means is that, if you have a cellphone right now, you can still unlock it at your leisure and not be breaking the law. But any phone purchased after tomorrow will need to be done so with the permission of your wireless carrier.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Then there is this from Cnet:
Starting this Saturday, it becomes illegal in this great land to unlock a new smartphone without the permission of the carrier that locked it in the first place.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Legacy phones seem to be exempt to this policy for good reason.
Enforceability? I highly doubt you'll get a jail sentence for going to a 3rd party to unlock your phone. Maybe a small $20 penalization on your bill. But really, how could they enforce that? Are the big 4 going to run some algorithm that will scan all of their customers IMEI numbers and ping the mothership when the come across someone that used a hack or 3rd party? I doubt it.
Not saying that there isn't cause for concern at BigBrother again dipping his hand in the cookie jar. But let's not get the pitchforks and torches just yet. Petitions are great ways for people to voice their opinions and great things can happen because of them (ala Change.org and the Verizon $2 "convenience" fee), but they need to be worded correctly and not some rant like many become.
My work filter won't let me look at the petition that you linked, so I am not sure what it says. I work for lawyers, so I tend to think the way they do.
Its true...better get your new phones NOW before this is enacted across the board.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105...king-of-smartphones-becomes-illegal-saturday/
Plus, T-Mobile makes it pretty easy to request an unlock anyways. For customers on a monthly plan:
- your T-Mobile account is in good standing;
- you have a minimum of 40 consecutive days of active service with T-Mobile;
- you did not request an unlock code in the last 90 days (except in connection with a device exchange or upgrade);
- the device has not been reported as lost or stolen;
- T-Mobile has verified usage of the IMEI applicable to the device; and
the device has been completely paid for.
I just requested the unlock code for my old G2 and got it in about 2 weeks.
I only bought unlocked phones in the past. But since there is only one carrier I intend to do business with, an unlocked or locked T-Mobile phone won't matter to me.
Would this be true for contract bought phones? Or even phones bought without contracts?
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It's illegal to download pirated movies, music and software. I'm glad we don't have any of that on the internet anymore.
52me52 said:
Would this be true for contract bought phones? Or even phones bought without contracts?
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Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It would be true for every phone, regardless of how it is purchased.
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Woody said:
My work filter won't let me look at the petition that you linked, so I am not sure what it says. I work for lawyers, so I tend to think the way they do.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
your work filter blocks whitehouse.gov? wow thats strict
dodgefan67 said:
your work filter blocks whitehouse.gov? wow thats strict
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My work blocks EVERY website not applicable to work. And in my line of work, that means we get about 5 sites including our own and our own internal site... Smh. Thank heavens for smartphones
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After I heard about this a couple of days ago and I was driving home from work sort of zoning out and I wondered :
Could websites like this one get into some sort of legal trouble? I'm sure that I am way over thinking this, but a lot of websites specifically show step by step instructions on how to ROOT almost every phone known to man. But then I thought to myself.... Just because something may be against the law, doesn't mean that you can't talk about it or have instructions on how to do such a thing. Okay, now I'm questioning myself after that description. What do you guys think? Will this have any effect on us going into the future?
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Rooting and unlocking are different. Unlocking is a very small % of sites like XDA
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se1000 said:
It's illegal to download pirated movies, music and software. I'm glad we don't have any of that on the internet anymore.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lol
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http://www.tmonews.com/2013/01/t-mo...-regarding-dmca-phone-unlocking-restrictions/
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---------- Post added at 01:26 AM ---------- Previous post was at 01:18 AM ----------
Sign the petition to stop this from happening.
http://www.droiddog.com/android-blo...ocking-phones-yourself-make-your-voice-heard/
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...from what I've read this only affects people who make and use tools to unlock their phones for free without contacting apple/the carrier like the one for the iPhone.
Its my understanding that websites that offer unlock codes for a fee (or just imei unlock in the case of an iPhone) are still going to be legal.
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zander21510 said:
...from what I've read this only affects people who make and use tools to unlock their phones for free without contacting apple/the carrier like the one for the iPhone.
Its my understanding that websites that offer unlock codes for a fee (or just imei unlock in the case of an iPhone) are still going to be legal.
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Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's now illegal to unlock your phone whatsoever unless done by the carrier.
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Towle said:
It's now illegal to unlock your phone whatsoever unless done by the carrier.
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Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That doesn't seem right...so say I get an at&t phone on ebay and want to unlock it so I can use it on T-Mobile. Do I have to go beg at&t for them to unlock it now??
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zander21510 said:
That doesn't seem right...so say I get an at&t phone on ebay and want to unlock it so I can use it on T-Mobile. Do I have to go beg at&t for them to unlock it now??
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Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unfortunately, yes.
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dave2metz said:
http://www.tmonews.com/2013/01/t-mo...-regarding-dmca-phone-unlocking-restrictions/
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---------- Post added at 01:26 AM ---------- Previous post was at 01:18 AM ----------
Sign the petition to stop this from happening.
http://www.droiddog.com/android-blo...ocking-phones-yourself-make-your-voice-heard/
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Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Edit... Waste of time
Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk 2
T-Mobile will fight this full force. Their newest game plan is to have AT&T customers bring their unlocked phone over to them for use on the T-Mobile network.
As for us current T-Mobile customers, all you have to do is simply call them up and tell them that you are going out of the country for a while. They will give you the unlock code for free within a couple days. T-Mobile is really good about unlocking. Honestly we, as T-Mobile customers, have nothing to worry about with this matter.
(Though I do still agree that this is a total BS law which should be overturned).
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Related
I bought my phone on Craight list and it turn out it was not paid in full so t-mobile block my IMEI number, paid 500$ for it too. My question is if I unlock my phone using code can I by pass the block from T-mobile ? if I can't , can I at least use it for ATT ?
You can unlock it and use on at&t but unlocking won't let you use it on tmobile tho. Sorry to hear that man I hate when our customers get ripped off like that unfortunately there is no way to unblock it unless you has legitimate proof of full purchase.
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ebatr8 said:
You can unlock it and use on at&t but unlocking won't let you use it on tmobile tho. Sorry to hear that man I hate when our customers get ripped off like that unfortunately there is no way to unblock it unless you has legitimate proof of full purchase.
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Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1
sell it to someone for parts.. that you be best to recover some money...
companies dont support unlocking these blocked phones to be used on another network.. infact it's not much legal too..
i might be wrong//
dullhunk said:
sell it to someone for parts.. that you be best to recover some money...
companies dont support unlocking these blocked phones to be used on another network.. infact it's not much legal too..
i might be wrong//
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You are wrong.
they wont give you an unlock code for it ... so whatever you do to unlock it would be against their will ??
dullhunk said:
they wont give you an unlock code for it ... so whatever you do to unlock it would be against their will ??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Tmobile won't but he can use a third party to get the unlock code careful with info you give to others no need for op to waste his phone he can still get use out of it if he switches.
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dullhunk said:
sell it to someone for parts.. that you be best to recover some money...
companies dont support unlocking these blocked phones to be used on another network.. infact it's not much legal too..
i might be wrong//
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So are so wrong. Unlocking a phone is perfectly legal.
OP. Check ebay.
Sell it to a Canadian!
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icheroz said:
I bought my phone on Craight list and it turn out it was not paid in full so t-mobile block my IMEI number, paid 500$ for it too. My question is if I unlock my phone using code can I by pass the block from T-mobile ? if I can't , can I at least use it for ATT ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
FYI for all buying phones from a classified ad.
About 6 months ago before I got my SGS3 I went to buy a SGS2 form KSL.com a classified site here in Utah. When I met the seller in a 7-11 parking lot I told him I was going to call customer care to check and see if the phone was stolen. When I called customer care they looked up the IMEI number, it turned out that the phone was blocked and reported stolen, customer care tried to get me to hold onto the phone and give some detail about the seller that's when the he guy grabbed it off the hood of my car and ran. I found a second phone from the classified ad site and called on it before I purchased and the phone was clear and free to use.
Its just more or less you always have to be weary of dishonest people. It really makes me sick. I just sold my sgs2 on craiglists, and I always try to do good business. I contacted everyone from the phone I was selling so they could see, this was actually MY phone before upgrading. Let him put his sim in, hell, he even could have called customer care if he wanted. Its never good business to try and get over on someone. Karma is a B****!
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I thought networks use a "shared hosting service", so when an IMEI is blocked on one network, that info is shared thus blocking it on others.
I don't think it works even with att. The blocked imei database is stored by all the networks providrtd
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avataranjie said:
I don't think it works even with att. The blocked imei database is stored by all the networks providrtd
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is not currently shared. They hope to get that going late 2012 to 2013. They plan on it thought.
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Oh, the old Craigslist scam. Bummer man.
Sent from my SGH-T999
It used to be the cdma scams. Now I see that gsm is worse. It is much harder ion gsm phone to find out if the phone is or potentially can be blacklisted.
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The problem is... the can report it stolen/lost AFTER selling it to you... so checkiny with customer care doesn't matter. they have something crazy like 60 days after someone else starts using it to report it stolen or lost. So you csn buy a free and clear phone and then 2 months later it will be blocked. The ONLY way to protect yourself is a bill of sale... typed up with the imei number of the phone and everything on the paper.. and signed by the previous owner.. this will prove purchase and save you
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clninja said:
The problem is... the can report it stolen/lost AFTER selling it to you... so checkiny with customer care doesn't matter. they have something crazy like 60 days after someone else starts using it to report it stolen or lost. So you csn buy a free and clear phone and then 2 months later it will be blocked. The ONLY way to protect yourself is a bill of sale... typed up with the imei number of the phone and everything on the paper.. and signed by the previous owner.. this will prove purchase and save you
Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yea that's what most scammers do on craigslist they sell you the phone then report it lost or stolen and only have to pay around $100 to get a new one
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Can someone smarter than me please explain what this means for us?
http://mashable.com/2013/01/23/unlocking-cellphones-illegal/
Well they say it in the first few lines. You can no longer legally unlock your phone after Jan 26.
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Sooo.... XDA will either support "hackers" or delete threads/posts about the "illegal" activity?
d3athsd00r said:
Well they say it in the first few lines. You can no longer legally unlock your phone after Jan 26.
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Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This refers to carrier unlocking a phone. Such as taking your att phone and unlocking it to work on a tmobile or anyone else that has similar spectrum.
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Always pay attention to verbiage.
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Wow the US has some retarded laws for a country so obsessed with " freedom"
Yeah.. this is kind of bull****. I understand carriers doing this, but why is this mandated by the U.S. government?
crixley said:
Wow the US has some retarded laws for a country so obsessed with " freedom"
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
stevesteveLA said:
Sooo.... XDA will either support "hackers" or delete threads/posts about the "illegal" activity?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I should hope not. Let's hope XDA remembers that not all its members reside in the U.S. and that unlocking is perfectly legal in other places.
pfft! I say whatever! How the hell are they gonna catch you? Well the US can enjoy that, but like anything there is always another way around so in reality there must likely isn't too much to worry about
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I think maybe people should read into the article a little more?
The new rule against unlocking cellphones won't be a problem for everybody, though. For example, Verizon's iPhone 5 comes out of the box already unlocked, and AT&T will unlock a phone once it is out of contract.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That, to me, sounds like it's only ACTUALLY becoming illegal to unlock your device without your carrier's permission to do so. So... you know... like those of us on AT&T who decided to just chat them up and ask for the unlock code for our GS3's would be in the clear, since it was permitted by the carrier.
https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/make-unlocking-cell-phones-legal/1g9KhZG7#thank-you=p
Please sign this petition, this whole idea is just stupid... but will very soon become reality!
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Good luck doesn't that come into effect on Saturday? Like I said in another post if you buy the phone how the hell are they gonna know if you unlock it yourself? Just avoid taking it to your carrier to ask to have it unlocked
Sent from the scary door....
Signed and posted on facebook
G-Man. said:
https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/make-unlocking-cell-phones-legal/1g9KhZG7#thank-you=p
Please sign this petition, this whole idea is just stupid... but will very soon become reality!
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Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I signed and posted on my Facebook.
aybarrap1 said:
I signed and posted on my Facebook.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks! Much appreciated!
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G-Man. said:
https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/make-unlocking-cell-phones-legal/1g9KhZG7#thank-you=p
Please sign this petition, this whole idea is just stupid... but will very soon become reality!
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Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I didn't know that congress had its own librarian let alone a library for him/her to work in :\
Bump..
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Not to be a wet blanket but if you think for one minute the WH gives a tinker's damn about those petitions, you should start by looking at what's already there with 100k+ sigs. Like every state in the union wanting to secede. On top of that, this was bought and paid for in a negotiation between the carriers and what is, in my view, the finest government money can buy. Look at it this way: if you want to get your phone paid for by someone else, be prepared to accept their conditions. Or spend the $ to get an unlocked version. Or ask the carrier to unlock it. Word is they will if you're current. At the end of the day this really only hurts (US based) unlock code vendors and people trying to buy a ATT phone on ebay to use on TMo's 2G (or similar).
G-Man. said:
https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/make-unlocking-cell-phones-legal/1g9KhZG7#thank-you=p
Please sign this petition, this whole idea is just stupid... but will very soon become reality!
Sent from my SGH-I747 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
On the fifth day since petition started and over a quarter of the way there to the 100K (almost 26K sigs). Hopefully this will continue and speed up. Perhaps with more than 100K in half the required time the White House will actually look at it and make the change.
I'll post in my thread. Could probably get the rest of the signatures just from there. lol.
Signed!!
Saw it from your thread but could not reply there since I don't have 10 posts lol
task650 said:
I'll post in my thread. Could probably get the rest of the signatures just from there. lol.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
task650 said:
I'll post in my thread. Could probably get the rest of the signatures just from there. lol.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
LOL...it would definitely further it along quite well if nothing else.
Signed and shared on my FB.
Bump - still need 40k+ more signatures!
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I was under the impression that the rules state it only affects phones purchased after the date it goes into effect. So this shouldn't even matter to those who already own an S3.
Don't get me wrong, it's still important for future purchases, for anyone planning to get the S4 and 5 eventually.
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G-Man. said:
https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/make-unlocking-cell-phones-legal/1g9KhZG7#thank-you=p
Please sign this petition, this whole idea is just stupid... but will very soon become reality!
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Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Signed!
Signed.
Will add my signature to it once I got on my PC.
Good to see someone taking action for tech on the whitehouse gov site.
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G-Man. said:
https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/make-unlocking-cell-phones-legal/1g9KhZG7#thank-you=p
Please sign this petition, this whole idea is just stupid... but will very soon become reality!
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Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OK every one, still needs 40k sigs on this thing. To anyone with Facebook accounts - please post this on your page! Working together we can get this done!
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To be honest I don't see the big deal. If people did their research they would know this only applies till the phone is paid off at the end of contract and doesn't apply to any lte device due to the agreement with the FCC when the late bands were bought
Wayne Tech S-III
zelendel said:
To be honest I don't see the big deal. If people did their research they would know this only applies till the phone is paid off at the end of contract and doesn't apply to any lte device due to the agreement with the FCC when the late bands were bought
Wayne Tech S-III
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks. Never even thought about this factor. In theory, the LTE phones should never be carrier locked since the LTE is utilizing the 700Mhz band. This means happy unlocking...whatever method I choose. Wonder if AT&T would cave in eventually on this?
If you did not know it, US Congress has enacted a law that would make unlocking a cell phone to use on another carrier illegal by the end of this month. If you disagree with this please sign this petition. This mostly affects customers that travel abroad and unlock to save money and not pay huge fees for using the phone in other countries. Question on my end...wouldn't this pertain to mostly GSM users? I do not think a Verizon phone can be used elsewhere.
Make Unlocking Cell Phones Legal. http://wh.gov/yA9n
If you have 3 extra minutes, please sign the petition in the link provided, and help stop our government from taking away just one more thing from us
All credit for this find goes to bigralph of Team Sourcery. Thanks Ralph once again for another great find.
Sent From My Fully Conjured ToroPlus Thanks To Team Sourcery
It's not illegal here, because here all are noobs or stupid!
And I don't care, if it would be illegal somewhere then so what, who cares?..
manumanfred said:
It's not illegal here, because here all are noobs or stupid!
And I don't care, if it would be illegal somewhere then so what, who cares?..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
so much genius in this post lol
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If you bought an unlocked phone (e.g. Play Store), then it doesn't matter. What matters is if you bought a phone from a carrier - this is where the unlocking issue comes into play. Unlocking the device to use in another carrier network is now illegal unless you get permission of the carrier from which you purchased the phone.
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---------- Post added at 12:22 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:22 PM ----------
manumanfred said:
It's not illegal here, because here all are noobs or stupid!
And I don't care, if it would be illegal somewhere then so what, who cares?..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Genius. You make us all proud.:banghead:
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How on earth will they enforce this law? It seems to be impossible to mitigate...
A lot of things that have seemed "impossible" have been being passed thru without is approving during the Obama era. Ya never know anymore.
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Wrong thread. Sorry.
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Two words.......
Catch me
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altimax98 said:
Two words.......
Catch me
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Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes. Catch me. Well said.
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No talking about "carrier swapping" people, this is illegal. But if you want to talk about "carrier repair"....
Makes me glad I don't live in the US, maybe they should fix their gun laws before worrying about something as stupid as unlocking phones, next Obama will be taxing white people for being white.
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slayr76 said:
Makes me glad I don't live in the US, maybe they should fix their gun laws before worrying about something as stupid as unlocking phones, next Obama will be taxing white people for being white.
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Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So he'd be taxing half of himself? People love to forget how bills get to his desk in the first place...
jxr94 said:
So he'd be taxing half of himself? People love to forget how bills get to his desk in the first place...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I couldn't care less about his colour, he just rants on about what he can change but does nothing, anyway i can freely unlock any locked phone through my carriers website using its imei number an its 100% legal an free of charge as I did when I first unlocked my gnex which was locked to Vodafone on contract the day I got it.
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Its not illegal if you get your carrier to unlock it. You just can't use third party unlocking services.
dark_light said:
Its not illegal if you get your carrier to unlock it. You just can't use third party unlocking services.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's only illegal if it's on contract and you don't get their permission. But like most people have said, catch me.
I don't see why they enforced this before making guns illegal o.o
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Not a crime if you're not caught...................
Like others challenged, catch them.
Pff, the amount of resources needed to first find out IF someone has unlocked their phone is exorbitantly high and not something that can be done "on the fly".
Also, as far as I know there is no way to tell if a mobile phone is currently using a different network than it was supposed to.
But then again, i'm not living in the US and don't know about the specifics of network locks there, I just know that unless it's a feature phone from a carrier (at least concerning germany) then they are not locked to a specific network anymore.
Unlocked bootloaders however are a different question (like the Motorola Razr which was supposed to be unlockable in Europe, but wasn't).
I doubt anything comes of it but if it did, they'd go after those enabling others to unlock phones.
Similarly, the EPA just went after several aftermarket diesel engine tuning companies that were selling products that bypassed emission requirements. The EPA went after several companies and small time product distributors, made them pay fines, and buy back devices sold to consumers.
Legislators should much rather go after Apple, since they dropped out of a recycling alliance.
That should be a mandatory requirement if you want to manufacture electronic devices.
Also, Apple shot themselves in their knees with that move, since now no government institution is allowed to buy Apple hardware anymore, since whatever they use has to be recycleable by the manufacturer (at least that's the way in germany).
Damn criminals.
http://abcnews.go.com/m/story?id=18319518
Sent from the Galaxy beast note ll
Thats crazy!
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gilbydakid said:
Damn criminals.
http://abcnews.go.com/m/story?id=18319518
Sent from the Galaxy beast note ll
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
devynbf said:
Thats crazy!
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Click to expand...
Click to collapse
please go read what the actual law states. this only applies to phones that are still under contract/subsidy. if your 2 year contract has expired you can unlock any phone.
that's not gonna stop anyone
dippedattache said:
that's not gonna stop anyone
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually, yes it will.
Carriers are not gonna go after the users (such as myself) but will definitely go after commercial unlockers, like the store I have bought 5 phones from and flashed 6 phones with. I buy the phones unsubsidized, so im ok, but with a possible $500,000 fine and prison time...I dont think my store will continue doing this.
Going to call them tomorrow and see what they say...
Edit: read the docket...im glad I got my note 2 flashed before it went into effect.
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yea well obviously the people who do it for commercial reasons it'll stop them ..but like me or you or whoever knows how to unlock a phone is probably gonna do it (for personal use)
Problem is for metropcs...you need retailer access to their database. I can
Change everything on the phone but not add the esn to metro's database. So I have to rely on those commercial people...so my note 3 might have to be on sprint...
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Max_Pain said:
Problem is for metropcs...you need retailer access to their database. I can
Change everything on the phone but not add the esn to metro's database. So I have to rely on those commercial people...so my note 3 might have to be on sprint...
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Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But isn't that where people just end up using a donor ESN?
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I get the ruling, but don't fully agree with the logic used. It centered around the cellphone service providers recouping the subsidy costs the give consumers. I just don't get why they needed it overall, especially for the general consumer, since the contracts state if you leave the carrier, you pay a fee; assuming you don't find a loophole to exploit. If that that fee isn't enough, raise it. As far as I know, there is nothing to say it can't be higher based on the phone purchase. Just has to go down over time. My thinking, make it cost the same as buying the phone unlocked.
At the same time, I wouldn't say Sprint makes phone friendly to switch carriers, compared to others who do not have build in SIM cards.
Personally, it's not going to stop me or that many people. I don't believe most people who unlock do it to change carriers. They're more interested in rooting for the ability to use custom firmware on the same carrier or use other applications.
That said, I can understand where people might be one these phones and try to go with something like Metro. I never looked into the long term costs, so I'm not sure how much money is really saved. The wore part is the ability to see the phone to offset the cost of upgrading to newer model because it limits the buyers to only those who want that same carrier. This may drive the prices even lower.
Without more numbers, I just think this more carriers being scared rather than working with each other so consumers are happy and they can make more money by increase the number of users.