White House Response to “Make Unlocking Cell Phones Legal”

Post by larvaetron » Tue, Mar 05, 2013, 2:16 PM UTC

notatoad wrote: post #217

eli wrote: post #170

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This isn't really about cell phones, it's about copyright and how copyright laws apply to physical devices that you own. The fact that the devices in question happen to use public airwaves is incidental. IMHO, I should be able to hack my WiFi-only iPad and my XBox without risking criminal prosecution.

Cell phone locking has absolutely nothing to do with copyright. It is absurd that copyright law applies to unlocking/locking a cell phone.

Post by BCM43 » Tue, Mar 05, 2013, 4:08 PM UTC

Cushman wrote: post #263

arthurrr wrote: post #254

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Cushman, you sound like somebody who believes everything that you were taught in school, and you are unwilling to entertain an idea that has the possibility of destroying the foundation of your world view. Don't try to impose your world view on events as they occur, rather, observe the world and consider all possibilities. Things usually are not what they appear to be. The expert is not always right, even if he think…

I am most certainly not an idealist, but I take it as a compliment to be called one.

Post by Cushman » Tue, Mar 05, 2013, 5:14 PM UTC

BCM43 wrote: post #273

Cushman wrote: post #263

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I am most certainly not an idealist, but I take it as a compliment to be called one.

I don't think arthurrr called you an idealist. Naive, maybe.

Post by dyno12345 » Tue, Mar 05, 2013, 6:10 PM UTC

AnthonyMouse wrote: post #258

dyno12345 wrote: post #257

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Those are civil suits - not criminal enforcement that the administration could choose to pursue or not

Sklyarov was arrested.

Post by dionidium » Tue, Mar 05, 2013, 7:23 PM UTC

monochromatic wrote: post #201

uvdiv wrote: post #105

The White House answered an entirely different question from the one asked! Emphasis mine: * "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." * "...neither criminal law nor technological locks should prevent consumers from switching carriers when they are no longer bound by a service agreement or other obligat…

Also, "We totally agree that Congress should do something about that. Not us though. We're not gonna do anything."