Now illegal to unlock your mobile in the US

[Rawns]

Can't see any threads on this yet...

 

I see it's now illegal to unlock your mobile phone in the US, unless you have written permission from the network provide who locked it in the first place. What do people make of this? When your contracts up, would the cost of the handset not be covered in the 2/3 years of monthly contract payments? What if you want to keep the handset and don't want another contract with the current operator? Maybe a PAYG SIM for it instead?

 

Unlocking Your Mobile Phone Is No Longer Legal | Threat Level | Wired.com

 

With some similarities between US and UK/EU law, is it likely this will be looked at over here? My contracts up in 3 months and I don't want another. Instead, I've found a cheap SIMS only PAYG option with another network that I'll be going with while keeping my current handset. I'll therefore be getting it unlocked at some point.

Edited January 29, 2013 by Rawns

[localzuk]

The EU brought in a law that specifically counters this, the "Unfair Commercial Practices Directive", however there are some get out clauses meaning countries don't have to enforce it or something like that.

 

Its highly unlikely the UK or EU would go the same way as the USA on this one.

[SYNACK]

One more example that the US is run for the benefit of all large companies equally.

[Michael]

How on earth are they going to police it? If they want their phones to stop being unlocked/modified, they should design it better from the start.

 

For example it was only possible to unlock PS3's (to a certain point) on earlier software builds. As far as I'm aware no one's managed to do it properly on later software/hardware builds.

[Fleetwood]

How on earth are they going to police it?

 

They'll send out letters to parents saying they've been naughty boys/girls and should not do it again! (just like Torrenting) - they simply won't be able to control it. Like you say Michael, if they were built properly in the first place they could, maybe not avoid it, but at least make it a more PITA job to do for the boddies on a market stall.