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TPP Could Also Hinder Cell Unlocking Efforts
by Karl Bode
Tuesday Nov 19 2013 08:26 EDT

As noted last week, the leaked draft of the Trans Pacific Partnership trade agreement not only tries to foist wonky US copyright law upon the globe, it's pushing for numerous entertainment-industry initiatives like content filters, greater ISP liability, the disconnection of pirates from the Internet, and even language that could kill off Aereo.


It's all continually illustrative of how TPP negotiations have utterly excluded not only consumers, but all intelligent but discordant voices -- unless you're one of the 600 lobbyists invited to negotiations.

Now Derek Khanna, a Yale Law Fellow who was behind the White House website petition to making cell phone unlocking legal again, notes over at Slate that the latest TPP draft also undermines cell phone unlocking efforts by failing to include language that would allow for consumer-friendly device tinkering:
quote:
The leaked treaty draft shows that while the White House was championing restoring free market principles to phones, the U.S. proposed that the TPP lock in the process that allowed the Librarian of Congress to rule this technology as illegal through international law. This would make potential reforms like H.R. 1892 impossible. It should be noted that Canada did submit an amendment proposal that could allow unlocking, but neither the United States nor any other country supported it.
This of course runs in stark contrast with the rather breathless government support of unlocking devices, which culminated in a almost-but-not-quite ultimatum to industry last week by new FCC boss Tom Wheeler.

tags: legal · business · legislation · trouble · world
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TPP Could Also Hinder Cell Unlocking Efforts

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

1 recommendation

n2jtx

Member

2013-Nov-19 8:46 am

It Would Make Sprint Happy!

Considering Sprint already refuses to unlock the iPhone for domestic use under any circumstances, this would validate their stand. If this passes, I seriously doubt I would ever consider a locked phone again. I see no reason to waste the money on a crippled device.

Evidence yet again the government has been bought and paid for by corporations. Every time I hear someone say we need to update our constitution to reflect 21st century life I shudder because it means we will be stripped of every right we have in the name of GM, AT&T, Citi Group, JP Morgan and Exxon (to name a few). This treaty is more evidence there is no one around these days with the values and wisdom of the country's founders. These days everyone is out to line their pockets at the expense of the citizens.
2013-Nov-19 8:46 am: · hey mods ·

m35
@wideopenwest.com

m35

Anon

2013-Nov-19 9:12 am

Re: It Would Make Sprint Happy!

And, Congress has been getting their pockets line for how long now?
2013-Nov-19 9:12 am: · hey mods ·
hescominsoon
join:2003-02-18
Brunswick, MD

hescominsoon to n2jtx

Member

2013-Nov-19 9:50 am

to n2jtx
actually on the sprint website in my account my wife's iphone unlock codes are right there. Might be because i have a business account though..:)
2013-Nov-19 9:50 am: · hey mods ·
tdumaine
Premium Member
join:2004-03-14
Seattle, WA

tdumaine

Premium Member

2013-Nov-19 9:58 am

Re: It Would Make Sprint Happy!

said by hescominsoon:

actually on the sprint website in my account my wife's iphone unlock codes are right there. Might be because i have a business account though..:)

that doesnt unlock it for domestic use
2013-Nov-19 9:58 am: · hey mods ·

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

n2jtx

Member

2013-Nov-19 10:59 am

Re: It Would Make Sprint Happy!

Yes those are the Master Subsidy Lock codes. Useless with the iPhone.
2013-Nov-19 10:59 am: · hey mods ·

userjfkdlsjf
@204.108.96.x

userjfkdlsjf to hescominsoon

Anon

2013-Nov-19 12:04 pm

to hescominsoon
there are no unlocked codes for the iphone
2013-Nov-19 12:04 pm: · hey mods ·

anon_anon
@comcastbusiness.net

anon_anon to n2jtx

Anon

2013-Nov-19 4:08 pm

to n2jtx
Verizon won't take it even if you could unlock it. The only other services that might take it are Sprint MVNOs.

Were at the situation now where interchanging between US carriers is becoming physically impossible with LTE due to each carrier having its own assortment of frequency bands.

Much ado about nothing, unless you want to switch from a carrier to an MVNO on the same carrier.
2013-Nov-19 4:08 pm: · hey mods ·
XknightHawkX
join:2003-02-13
East Peoria, IL

XknightHawkX

Member

2013-Nov-19 2:09 pm

Trans Pacific Partnership?

If this is to share some laws? I'm sure it is more to screw the people. I want to know will this make it more possible to nail Spammers and scammer in other countries.
2013-Nov-19 2:09 pm: · hey mods ·
axus
join:2001-06-18
Washington, DC

axus

Member

2013-Nov-19 3:43 pm

Where can we find a list of the 600 lobbyists

It would be interesting to figure out who was in and who was out.
2013-Nov-19 3:43 pm: · hey mods ·

K3SGM
- -... ...- -
Premium Member
join:2006-01-17
Columbia, PA

K3SGM

Premium Member

2013-Nov-19 4:52 pm

All of my phones are unlocked, even the AT&T ones.

Who would want to carry a locked phone in the first place, I get them all unlocked on day one.

Mind you, that I only travel in AT&T, Rogers (Canada), FiDO (Canada), and T-Mobile circles these days.

Verizon and Sprint coverage is always lousy, so why even bother, if you own one of their phones.
2013-Nov-19 4:52 pm: · hey mods ·
shmerl
join:2013-10-21
3 edits

shmerl

Member

2013-Nov-19 5:00 pm

Where does H.R.1892 stand?

H.R.1892 is a great proposal, it's essentially not just about unlocking, but about allowing any breaking of DRM for non infringing purposes (for example personal backups), which repeals one of the nastiest parts of DMCA (DMCA 1201) and drops the stupid need to introduce "exceptions" to restrictions which didn't have to exist to begin with. But this bill doesn't seem to move anywhere so far: »www.govtrack.us/congress ··· 3/hr1892

Are there any schedules for such kind of bills, or they can hang unprocessed for undefined time?

Proposal by Tom Wheeler is not good enough, since it doesn't address the root of the problem, and just goes after the symptoms. It shouldn't be used as an excuse that "something was done", when the current law is crooked on much deeper level.
2013-Nov-19 5:00 pm: · hey mods ·
Joe12345678
join:2003-07-22
Des Plaines, IL

Joe12345678

Member

2013-Nov-19 6:06 pm

what about for no unlocking the cell phone co's are caped on roaming fees?

what about for no unlocking the cell phone co's are caped on roaming fees?
2013-Nov-19 6:06 pm: · hey mods ·