Why Cellphone Unlocking Could Soon Be Illegal Once Again

http://www.wired.com/2014/12/dmca-exemptions-cell-phone-unlocking/

by sinak • 12 years ago

16 12 12 years ago

qwerta3• 12 years ago

Yet another reason to buy phone directly from china. No operator locks, no region locks, no crapware, no boot-loader locks, no root locks....

scuba7183• 12 years ago

Just hidden spyware...

qwerta3• 12 years ago

Source?

wvenable2• 12 years ago

I don't understand why phone unlocking is covered by the DMCA. It has nothing to do with protecting content. It's also not about breaking the lock as unlocking a phone typically involves using the key.

slowmovintarget3• 12 years ago

Software is content. eBooks loaded on the phone with Kindle or iTunes DRM: content. Custom for-pay navigation crapware from carrier: "content".

The way the DMCA is written, it doesn't matter what is being "protected", it only matters that there is software that attempts to lock something down. Circumventing it, even if the locked "container" is empty, is illegal. And yes, it is breathtakingly draconian in its anti-consumer stance.

wvenable2• 12 years ago

But the carrier lock on a phone does not protect any content. It prevents you from moving the phone to another network. It has nothing to do with content at all. There is no copyright involvement in any way.

tdicola• 12 years ago

I just bought an unlocked Moto G and couldn't be happier. It's not the latest and greatest specs but it's good enough for most people. The best thing is getting out of the rat race of carrier subsidized phones. Good riddance to $90+/month cell phone bills.

paulannesley• 12 years ago

Back when the DMCA was penned, lawmakers had no idea that content—in the form of software and firmware—would find its way into almost every device we own.

It was 1997. I'm pretty sure software and firmware was already in almost every device we own. But it's probably true that lawmakers had no idea.

Why Cellphone Unlocking Could Soon Be Illegal Once Again

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