The stupidity of our government and the new rules regarding unlocking our devices

[Chad The Pathfinder]

I saw this on fb this "mourning" and thought I'd share...

http://www.xda-developers.com/andro...rs/ShsH+(xda-developers)&utm_content=FaceBook

 

[strapped365]

Re: The stupidity of our government and the new rules regarding unlocking our dev

Dude the united States government can blow me. Point blank. **** all their "new and proposed laws" I'm going to do whatever the hell I want because last time I checked I had freedom. This isn't ****ing north Korea. As you can tell I hate our lying ass president Barack Obama and wished someone would take his ass out of office. And the rest of your crooked government

Sent from my PG06100 using Tapatalk 2

 

[BigSplit]

It's disgusting our government continues to repeatedly enact laws to promote/preserve the bottom dollar of large corporations like this; this promotes monopolies, crushes diversity and goes against the very idea of free Enterprise. How can one alter, root, replace, enhance aspects of a devices firmware and it is perfectly legal, but when it allows the user to switch carriers it becomes illegal? The very idea that this is a copyright issue is ridiculous.

 

[bilgerryan]

It's disgusting our government continues to repeatedly enact laws to promote/preserve the bottom dollar of large corporations like this; this promotes monopolies, crushes diversity and goes against the very idea of free Enterprise. How can one alter, root, replace, enhance aspects of a devices firmware and it is perfectly legal, but when it allows the user to switch carriers it becomes illegal? The very idea that this is a copyright issue is ridiculous.

Well the whole idea is kinda idiotic anyways... if you get a phone from the carrier you are under contract... the contract is what shields the carrier from loss. What is the purpose of the law other than them being greedy.

 

[strapped365]

But what about the users like me who buy all the phones they use at MSRP? I pay full retail to take my devices with me. With sprint alone I dropped around 1300 on 2 original evos and an evo shift.

So would any of this concern me? Since I did not get a subsidized price on anything?

 

[bilgerryan]

But what about the users like me who buy all the phones they use at MSRP? I pay full retail to take my devices with me. With sprint alone I dropped around 1300 on 2 original evos and an evo shift.

So would any of this concern me? Since I did not get a subsidized price on anything?

People like you are the only ones this law is really effecting... And its definitely not in a positive way.

 

[prboy1969]

Actually it affects all of us. Because believe it or not we all pay Full price for our devices. Because whether they say it or not. We are all paying for our devices. The Carriers have that all factored into the cost of your plan. You never actually get a discount. They make sure that there is at least a 300% mark up on every device.

 

[bilgerryan]

Actually it affects all of us. Because believe it or not we all pay Full price for our devices. Because whether they say it or not. We are all paying for our devices. The Carriers have that all factored into the cost of your plan. You never actually get a discount. They make sure that there is at least a 300% mark up on every device.

Yes but if someone pays full price up front they should be able to take the phone where they want No matter what... Any gsm across the world can do that providing the networks are compatible.. it really hurts travelers too
Lol go to Canada or Mexico unlock it and come back... they surely didn't make it illegal to possess an unlocked device... loophole

 

[strapped365]

Actually it affects all of us. Because believe it or not we all pay Full price for our devices. Because whether they say it or not. We are all paying for our devices. The Carriers have that all factored into the cost of your plan. You never actually get a discount. They make sure that there is at least a 300% mark up on every device.

Well 1299.97 plus tax should allow me to do whatever in the hell I want with my devices.

I wonder how much more popular Google GSM Unlocked Nexus devices are going to become .

 

[CNexus]

Well 1299.97 plus tax should allow me to do whatever in the hell I want with my devices.

I wonder how much more popular Google GSM Unlocked Nexus devices are going to become .

Lol true
Its just at&t and those people complaining about it because in the end, google really doesnt care

I still feel its unnecessary to do this, theyre just trying to lock in customers as much as they can and prevent them from finding better deals where they might pay less monthly or have better coverage in their specific area for less

Sent from my PG06100

 

[bilgerryan]

Well 1299.97 plus tax should allow me to do whatever in the hell I want with my devices.

I wonder how much more popular Google GSM Unlocked Nexus devices are going to become .

Sony and Nokia sell gsm unlocked phones too... most of the international gsm companies do. Again showing how dumb our government is.

 

[headcronie]

Sony and Nokia sell gsm unlocked phones too... most of the international gsm companies do. Again showing how dumb our government is.

Biggest disappointment is that while the law allowed for devices to be unlocked, exemptions were made or devices ignored. You couldn't unlock an iPhone, or at least they sure didn't want you to. Maybe I have my facts confused though.

 

[YoungCorruptionV2.0]

Eh this does bother me so much because all you have to do is get permission to use the phone on another carrier. I HIGHLY doubt they will tell you no. And if they do... Well this is XDA, we do what we want to do. Guides will still be posted on flashing to other carriers. They can't stop us

Sent from my EVO using Tapatalk 2

 

[CNexus]

Update:


If as many people as possible could sign this, it would be incredibly awesome.

https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/make-unlocking-cell-phones-legal/1g9KhZG7

Sent from my PG06100

 

[jabu]

Update:


If as many people as possible could sign this, it would be incredibly awesome.

https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/make-unlocking-cell-phones-legal/1g9KhZG7

Sent from my PG06100

I signed it today and forwarded the link.

 

[Chad The Pathfinder]

Look at the petition results... http://www.xda-developers.com/andro...-developers/ShsH+(xda-developers)&utm_content

 

[prboy1969]

The article on Android Police HERE might interest a few of you.

 

[jabu]

Email I received this morning:

It's Time to Legalize Cell Phone Unlocking

By R. David Edelman, Senior Advisor for Internet, Innovation, & Privacy

Thank you for sharing your views on cell phone unlocking with us through your petition on our We the People platform. Last week the White House brought together experts from across government who work on telecommunications, technology, and copyright policy, and we're pleased to offer our response.

The White House agrees with the 114,000+ of you who believe that consumers should be able to unlock their cell phones without risking criminal or other penalties. In fact, we believe the same principle should also apply to tablets, which are increasingly similar to smart phones. And if you have paid for your mobile device, and aren't bound by a service agreement or other obligation, you should be able to use it on another network. It's common sense, crucial for protecting consumer choice, and important for ensuring we continue to have the vibrant, competitive wireless market that delivers innovative products and solid service to meet consumers' needs.

This is particularly important for secondhand or other mobile devices that you might buy or receive as a gift, and want to activate on the wireless network that meets your needs -- even if it isn't the one on which the device was first activated. All consumers deserve that flexibility.

The White House's position detailed in this response builds on some critical thinking done by the President's chief advisory Agency on these matters: the Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). For more context and information on the technical aspects of the issue, you can review the NTIA's letter to the Library of Congress' Register of Copyrights (.pdf), voicing strong support for maintaining the previous exception to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) for cell phone carrier unlocking.

Contrary to the NTIA's recommendation, the Librarian of Congress ruled that phones purchased after January of this year would no longer be exempted from the DMCA. The law gives the Librarian the authority to establish or eliminate exceptions -- and we respect that process. But it is also worth noting the statement the Library of Congress released today on the broader public policy concerns of the issue. Clearly the White House and Library of Congress agree that the DMCA exception process is a rigid and imperfect fit for this telecommunications issue, and we want to ensure this particular challenge for mobile competition is solved.

So where do we go from here?

The Obama Administration would support a range of approaches to addressing this issue, including narrow legislative fixes in the telecommunications space that make it clear: neither criminal law nor technological locks should prevent consumers from switching carriers when they are no longer bound by a service agreement or other obligation.

We also believe the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), with its responsibility for promoting mobile competition and innovation, has an important role to play here. FCC Chairman Genachowski today voiced his concern about mobile phone unlocking (.pdf), and to complement his efforts, NTIA will be formally engaging with the FCC as it addresses this urgent issue.

Finally, we would encourage mobile providers to consider what steps they as businesses can take to ensure that their customers can fully reap the benefits and features they expect when purchasing their devices.

We look forward to continuing to work with Congress, the wireless and mobile phone industries, and most importantly you -- the everyday consumers who stand to benefit from this greater flexibility -- to ensure our laws keep pace with changing technology, protect the economic competitiveness that has led to such innovation in this space, and offer consumers the flexibility and freedoms they deserve.

 

[Chad The Pathfinder]

Well that certainly sounds good. I remain sceptical though. It is our government talking here...

 

[prboy1969]

You guys should check the article in the link below. Might be a step in the right direction.
http://www.androidpolice.com/2013/0...locking-phones-for-interoperability-purposes/