I guess I should have considered unlocking my phone sooner...

[MindDetective]

It looks like it is no longer legal to unlock carrier subsidized phones.

Starting today, the U.S. Copyright Office and Library of Congress are no longer allowing phone unlocking as an exemption under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA).
You can read the full docket here but, in short, it is illegal to unlock a phone from a carrier unless you have that carrier's permission to do so. If you're wondering what this has to do with copyright, it turns out not much.

 

[Gilgamesh]

Did you know it's also illegal to download music/movies/games? Le'gasp!

 

[strawman]

Apples going to have fun with this.

 

[PatrThom]

Any word on whether it will be illegal to unlock a non-subsidized phone? I mean, if someone buys it device-only, does it still matter if there's no bundled contract?

--Patrick

 

[Ravenpoe]

Any word on whether it will be illegal to unlock a non-subsidized phone? I mean, if someone buys it device-only, does it still matter if there's no bundled contract?

--Patrick

Subsidation shouldn't have anything to do with it. Even if you unlock a subsidized phone and move it to another carrier, you are still posting on the original carrier plan for the duration of the contract, or paying the fee to terminate the contract early.

 

[PatrThom]

My comment was more directed on what legal precedent the carrier has to stand on, what sort of economic harm they are suffering. If I unlock a subsidized phone, they are obviously suffering harm because now I am no longer on their network. If I unlock a device-only phone, there is no contract, there was never a 'need' to use the phone with that carrier. Verizon (or whomever) will not care if that phone stays in the box for 40 years without activation, it doesn't touch their bottom line at all.

--Patrick