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 ...
Perhaps unlocking would allow uses beyond current locked abilities...abilities that put Americans at risk, the National Security kind? Just a thought.
Yeah, but you've still got to go to court.
This law is like penalizing you for not using "genuine Ford parts" on your F-150.
As far as I can figure, you can still buy an UNLOCKED phone and buy a sim card from one of the pay as you go carriers (no contract). You will pay more for the phone upfront but save on monthly charges for the life of the phone.
Article that answers a lot of questions:
Big Media wants to total control of all media and the hardware that is used to consume it.
Bottom line is they want you to have no ownership rights because then you can't resell their products which means that there will be no secondary or used market. Which means that every person will have to buy new and that makes Big Media tons more cash!
Bruce Willis is currently in a lawsuit against Apple (I believe) over his vast collection of Digital Music and Movies he has purchased. (Apparently its tens of thousands of dollars worth of media)He found out the way the laws are set up now he cannot bequeath via a last will any of this media to his children/survivors. If BIG Media gets its way you won't be able to leave any of your electronics to anyone in your will either.
Illegal aliens are permitted to cross our borders and demand satisfaction. Tax paying citizens must fork over $$$ to the corporate bedbuddies of Obama. W’unnerful w’unnerful.
WOuldn't that be nice?
Verizon attempted to buy out Alltel here, but the Feds said "No. That would be a monopoly."
The result is that AT&T bought out Alltel, and our accounts were switched over, after being assured they were going to invest heavily in towers, etc. I have over 10,000 rollover minutes with AT&T because the damned phone won't work past the end of the sidewalk, and AND a Verizon account, because the place I need the stinking thing is out in the boonies where I work.
Add in the Feds doing away with the old phones which finally worked, and I have thousands in equipment and bills for services which just don't get the job done. When the contracts run out, I'm done with the SOBs. I can cut my monthly bills in half by using $45 a month unlimited services phones if they work, and I can find out for $100 with no ongoing obligation.
Five years in the pen for... unlocking your SmartPhone.
Yet, we hear all this caterwauling about prison overcrowding.
Try Virgin Mobile. No contract and they have some decent phones. I refuse to get any contract for cell phone service. I have been using no contract phones for the last five years.
If you buy a phone you have every right to change it in whatever way you want, if i buy a tv i have the right to smash it with a baseball bat because its mine. Yeah this is a absurd law indeed
This law takes something that should be a matter of private contract and turns it into a criminal law. What is next? If we violate some other provision of our cell phone contract, will we go to jail and be fined?
This is a useless tactic because people have been ‘unlocking’ their phones for quite some time. Simple instructions for this are all over the net.
So no whining about how this is Obama's doing, OK?
This is idiotic. There are penalties for breaking contract, you basically pay for the phone that was discounted. What one pays for phone service is so outrageous it’s mind boggling.
whoa! ... interesting.
CA Bonos and FL's McCollum were sponsors, acc post 39; I'll confirm.
Crazy... and crazy over-the-top consequences.
http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/17/1201 (the code)
17 USC § 1204 preliminary >> 17 USC § 1201 - Circumvention of copyright protection systems ... ?
http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/17/1204 (penalties)
(a)(2) subsequent (or multiple? used to pile on?) offenses: (2) shall be fined not more than $1,000,000 or imprisoned for not more than 10 years, or both, for any subsequent offense.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.