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Cell Unlocking Bill Passes Through Senate Committee
Last month Senators Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Charles Grassley (R-IA) introduced the "Unlocking Consumer Choice and Wireless Competition Act (pdf), which aims to make unlocking one's cell phone technically legal again, even if it doesn't fully address the myriad of problems with the DMCA. This morning, the Senate Judiciary Committee led by Leahy and Grassley approved the bill, pushing it closer to a broad vote (and a gauntlet of lobbyists who'll try to water it down). "Enabling consumers to unlock mobile devices will improve competition in the wireless market by making it easier to switch from one carrier to another," says consumer group Public Knowledge of the bill. "It is an important first step toward a fuller discussion of DMCA reform."
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Rekrul
join:2007-04-21
Milford, CT

Rekrul

Member

...

What they really need to do is repeal the whole anti-circumvention section of the DMCA,
Kearnstd
Space Elf
Premium Member
join:2002-01-22
Mullica Hill, NJ

Kearnstd

Premium Member

Re: ...

The optimal would be a US without a DMCA. the DMCA in no way helps the consumer.
KnightAR
join:2004-04-22
San Marcos, CA

KnightAR

Member

Re: ...

A full repeal of the DMCA is not a very good idea. Lets be real, there ARE some previsions in the DMCA that prevents a full on copyright shutdown of our favorite sites. Any site that is user content driven are protected via the Safe Harbor provisions. It may not seem like it but it's directly protecting the services you enjoy and use daily. A entire reform of the DMCA is needed to update it for the many changes that has happened to the internet in the past 15+ years and fix some of the faulty language such as the false DMCA take down abuse that content owners tend to use often and actually add penalties for knowingly abusing the law to their commercial benefit. That's is one of the examples and I'm sure there are a lot more.
Kearnstd
Space Elf
Premium Member
join:2002-01-22
Mullica Hill, NJ

Kearnstd

Premium Member

Re: ...

if you want penalties for abusing the system, A simple system is they get three abuses or "strikes". When they get a forth they are banned from DMCA taketown privileges for 10 years.

This would force them to review cases before running off to a rubber stamp judge.
dfxmatt
join:2007-08-21
Crystal Lake, IL

dfxmatt to Kearnstd

Member

to Kearnstd
wrong.

DMCA is crap but no DMCA opens liability back up.
78036364 (banned)
join:2014-05-06
USA

78036364 (banned)

Member

pointless

yes take your at&t phone and try using it on Verizon. At&t phones don't have CMDA radios in them which is Verizon uses for things like calling and texting. and the LTE at&t has is on different frequencies than Verizon. So as long as you don't mind not being able to call or text or use data sure take your unlocked phone over. Or you could just sell that phone and take those funds and get a phone DESIGNED for the network it's going to be on.
Skippy25
join:2000-09-13
Hazelwood, MO

Skippy25

Member

Re: pointless

Well the Google Nexus supports all carriers and yet Verizon will flat out refuse to enable one on their network.
Rakeesh
join:2011-10-30
Phoenix, AZ

Rakeesh to 78036364

Member

to 78036364
Simple: Don't subscribe to Verizon. I'm doing pretty well on T-Mobile myself.
78036364 (banned)
join:2014-05-06
USA

78036364 (banned)

Member

Re: pointless

said by Rakeesh:

Simple: Don't subscribe to Verizon. I'm doing pretty well on T-Mobile myself.

I'd really hate to have to drive 40 mils just to use my T-Mobile service. So no thanks I'll stick with a carrier that actually wants my business. I don't have time for carriers that don't think my money isn't good enough for them to stick a few antennas on a tower in my town.

jchambers28
Premium Member
join:2007-05-12
Peculiar, MO

jchambers28

Premium Member

Re: pointless

+1 only 2G here with Tmobile. sprint has 3G here. Sticking with Cricket using AT&T LTE.

Robert
Premium Member
join:2001-08-25
Miami, FL

1 recommendation

Robert to 78036364

Premium Member

to 78036364
said by 78036364:

yes take your at&t phone and try using it on Verizon. At&t phones don't have CMDA radios in them which is Verizon uses for things like calling and texting. and the LTE at&t has is on different frequencies than Verizon. So as long as you don't mind not being able to call or text or use data sure take your unlocked phone over. Or you could just sell that phone and take those funds and get a phone DESIGNED for the network it's going to be on.

Not pointless. Many of us travel internationally, but because our phones are locked, we are unable to take advantage of the local rates in the countries we are visiting by using a local carriers sim card.

The wireless carriers know this, which is why they refuse to allow us to easily unlock our phones, forcing us to use their exorbitant international calling plans.

jchambers28
Premium Member
join:2007-05-12
Peculiar, MO

jchambers28

Premium Member

Re: pointless

I bought a phone from AT&T they actually unlocked my phone for me with out any BS.
78036364 (banned)
join:2014-05-06
USA

78036364 (banned) to Robert

Member

to Robert
said by Robert:

Not pointless. Many of us travel internationally, but because our phones are locked, we are unable to take advantage of the local rates in the countries we are visiting by using a local carriers sim card.

The wireless carriers know this, which is why they refuse to allow us to easily unlock our phones, forcing us to use their exorbitant international calling plans.

Actually all of Verizon phones are unlocked for international use right out of the box. The lone exception is the Iphone 4s which I still can figure out why they still offer that for sale anyway. I have a G2 an if I traveled I could use a local SIM without having to do anything other than switching the SIM card.

n2jtx
join:2001-01-13
Glen Head, NY

n2jtx

Member

Re: pointless

said by 78036364:

The lone exception is the Iphone 4s which I still can figure out why they still offer that for sale anyway. I have a G2 an if I traveled I could use a local SIM without having to do anything other than switching the SIM card.

Sprint will not fully unlock my 4S either. Apple says it can be done but Sprint has to authorize it. It is their policy to not fully unlock phones...period. They are sticking with that at least until mid-February 2015 and then, after review, only phones sold after that date. Buy an iPhone 5S now from them and it will never be unlocked. Why bother?