Unlocking Your Phone Is Now Illegal

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@kgbkny wrote:
I am still curious about the implication that we don't own the phone until we complete the contractual term. I'd like to see where this is stated in the contract.

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I too am skeptical of that particular comment.  Its not like AT&T is going to reposses your phone, if you break your contract.  Subsidizing new phones is just a way to get you to sign-up, or re-commit (basically a sign-up discount).  Don't think it means they still own the phone.  But if somebody has any definitive evidence otherwise, I'd be interested to see.

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@21stNow wrote:

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How the Samsung Galaxy S III was exclusive is beyond me. 

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Yeah, that one completely blew my mind.

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@redpoint73 wrote:

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@kgbkny wrote:
I am still curious about the implication that we don't own the phone until we complete the contractual term. I'd like to see where this is stated in the contract.

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I too am skeptical of that particular comment.  Its not like AT&T is going to reposses your phone, if you break your contract.  Subsidizing new phones is just a way to get you to sign-up, or re-commit (basically a sign-up discount).  Don't think it means they still own the phone.  But if somebody has any definitive evidence otherwise, I'd be interested to see.

 

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I am not buying it at all. A writer on one of the Android blogs suggested the same thing - we don't own the phone until we fulfill the contract. If this is the case, I'd love to see where exactly this is stated. Moreover, if a subscriber elects to cancel his/her contract early, he/she pays an ETF. The phone remains the subscriber's property.

For instance, when you finance a car, the loan issuer is clearly listed as the lienholder on the title. After the final payment is made, the lienholder issues a lien release notice to the owner. No such documents are issued for subsidized phones upon fulfilling the contract.

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@redpoint73 wrote:

Be aware that the law only applies to devices purchased from your carrier AFTER the 1/26/13 deadline.  Any devices purchased before this date are still perfectly okay to SIM unlock.

 

Obviously a law created by politicians who have no understanding of technology (remember the guy who said the Internet is a "series of tubes"?), and just bending to the wills of the corporate lobbyists.  Why is the Library of Congress setting rules for telecommunications anyway???  Media like DVDs I can somewhat understand.  But a smartphone is not a form of media.  Next, the Library of Congress will tell me I can't change the oil in my car, or get it changed anyplace but the original dealer, since that would also be "reverse engineering", and cars have computers in them, too.

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Actually, I still even question the ability to enforce this law on phones even after the 26th of January...at least for LTE phones.  It is my understanding that the FCC passed regulations that prohibit this on the 700 Mhz spectrum and therefore, in theory, the phone can be unlocked how you choose.

I agree about the hardware vs media.  This is nothing more than an attempt by AT&T (and any other major player) to prohibit competition and therefore keep the possibility of losing subscribers at a minimum.  Just goes to show how it is not the people (via those who they elect) that run the country, it is the big corporations

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@aybarrap1 wrote:

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@redpoint73 wrote:

Be aware that the law only applies to devices purchased from your carrier AFTER the 1/26/13 deadline.  Any devices purchased before this date are still perfectly okay to SIM unlock.

 

Obviously a law created by politicians who have no understanding of technology (remember the guy who said the Internet is a "series of tubes"?), and just bending to the wills of the corporate lobbyists.  Why is the Library of Congress setting rules for telecommunications anyway???  Media like DVDs I can somewhat understand.  But a smartphone is not a form of media.  Next, the Library of Congress will tell me I can't change the oil in my car, or get it changed anyplace but the original dealer, since that would also be "reverse engineering", and cars have computers in them, too.

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Actually, I still even question the ability to enforce this law on phones even after the 26th of January...at least for LTE phones.  It is my understanding that the FCC passed regulations that prohibit this on the 700 Mhz spectrum and therefore, in theory, the phone can be unlocked how you choose.

 

I agree about the hardware vs media.  This is nothing more than an attempt by AT&T (and any other major player) to prohibit competition and therefore keep the possibility of losing subscribers at a minimum.  Just goes to show how it is not the people (via those who they elect) that run the country, it is the big corporations

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As far as I know, the FCC regulations were only on the section of the 700MHz spectrum that Verizon Wireless purchased; AT&T Mobility is not affected by the ruling.