Posted on 01/28/2013 2:11:59 PM PST by Kaslin
When did we decide that we wanted a law that could make unlocking your smartphone a criminal offense? The answer is that we never really decided.
ADVISORY
BY DECREE OF THE LIBRARIAN OF CONGRESS
IT SHALL HENCEFORCE BE ORDERED THAT AMERICANS SHALL NOT UNLOCK THEIR OWN SMARTPHONES.
PENALTY: In some situations, first time offenders may be fined up to $500,000, imprisoned for five years, or both. For repeat offenders, the maximum penalty increases to a fine of $1,000,000, imprisonment for up to ten years, or both.*
That's right, starting this weekend it is illegal to unlock new phones to make them available on other carriers.
I have deep sympathy for any individual who happens to get jail time for this offense. I am sure that other offenders would not take kindly to smartphone un-lockers.
But seriously: It's embarrassing and unacceptable that we are at the mercy of prosecutorial and judicial discretion** to avoid the implementation of draconian laws that could implicate average Americans in a crime subject to up to a $500,000 fine and up to five years in prison.
(Excerpt) Read more at theatlantic.com ...
Well, we already know this administration has no interest in going after the REAL criminals in America. They have arbitrarily decided that those on the right are the criminals now.
Ah....so.....in order to combat what they “deem” to be unlawful activity....they decided to participate in unlawful activity in order to enforce, via unlawful actions, their definition of “unlawful activity”. Got it.
That sounds about right and how things go in this Obama Bizarro World.
“If you obtain a $600 phone for $200 on the condition that you sign a two year contract, then jail break the phone and start doing things the contract doesn’t allow, then the phone company considers that a breach of contract. What they’re trying to do is to get the police to enforce these private contracts so they won’t have to bear the expense of taking you to court. Pardon the hyperbole but this really is pure fascism.”
this will go down in history along with the law against tearing the tag off the cushion.
Here is my logic kicking in. If you bought a $600 phone for $200 with a “locked in carrier” and then you somehow unlocked it and switched to another carrier before your contract was up, the original carrier could and should then just bill you $400 on your “final bill”. No “law” should need to be passed for something this basic and simple.
But then, everything is now back@ssward from what it should be...logically.
“If you obtain a $600 phone for $200 on the condition that you sign a two year contract, then jail break the phone and start doing things the contract doesn’t allow, then the phone company considers that a breach of contract. What they’re trying to do is to get the police to enforce these private contracts so they won’t have to bear the expense of taking you to court. Pardon the hyperbole but this really is pure fascism.”
The law is ridiculous. I just bought me a Samsung Galaxy Express smart phone which had just came out for $150 at our AT&T store, a couple of weeks ago. The regular price $450 If I don’t unlock it, I can’t even make a phone call
United Corporations of America.
We the corporations, in order to form a more perfect monopoly, establish onerous fees, insure consumer dependence, promote overindulgence, and secure steady streams of income to ourselves and our Chief Officers bonuses, do ordain and establish this form of Government, based on under-the-table payments and kickbacks, of the United Corporations of America.
With rules like this, please prove me wrong. Don’t forget the other darlings of FR - MPAA, RIAA. Citizen’s rights < corporation’s rights.
I didn’t even know you could switch a cell phone from one carrier to another
I didn’t even know you could switch a cell phone from one carrier to another
“I didn’t even know you could switch a cell phone from one carrier to another”
Yeah it can be done given the right set of instructions.
IMO the fines and jail time are completely out of proportion to the infraction and directly violate “cruel and unusual punishment”.
It’s a simple theft of services at worse. The penalties are worthy of a shooting at a school.
FOLLOW THE MONEY TRAIL! Somebody, someway, somewhere, is making a bundle off this decree. And no doubt, some politician is getting a kickback!
Now I WANT to unlock mine. Screw these assholes!
I’m not even sure what this means, so glad I decided to stay with my dumb phone rather than move on up to a so called smart phone.
Maybe the carriers should think about holding up THEIR end of the contract.
Ya know, like providing service that actually works?
I am certain of it
Under what authority does the Libwawian of Congwess impose fines on anybody for anything?
Where is that in the Constitution?
I don’t have a phone. My wife has a cell phone. Cheapest phone with Clear Talk from Walmart.
IMO people are enslaving themselves to their phones.
So, what if I purhased a phone for the full market value of the phone? Also, how does this impact the situation in which I have completed my two year contract?
Sponsor Rep Coble howard
co sponsors
Rep Berman, Howard L. [CA-26] - 2/11/1998
Rep Bono Mack, Mary [CA-44] - 6/5/1998
Rep Bono, Sonny [CA-44] - 9/26/1997
Rep Conyers, John, Jr. [MI-14] - 7/29/1997
Rep Frank, Barney [MA-4] - 7/29/1997
Rep Hyde, Henry J. [IL-6] - 7/29/1997
Rep McCollum, Bill [FL-8] - 1/27/1998
Rep Paxon, Bill [NY-27] - 6/5/1998
Rep Pickering, Charles W. “Chip” [MS-3] - 6/22/1998
Perhaps unlocking would allow uses beyond current locked abilities...abilities that put Americans at risk, the National Security kind? Just a thought.
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