http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/23/copyright-office-rules-that-consumers-can-legally-unlock-cellpho/ Engadget Comments for Copyright Office rules that consumers can legally unlock cellphones http://www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2010 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/23/copyright-office-rules-that-consumers-can-legally-unlock-cellpho/http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/23/copyright-office-rules-that-consumers-can-legally-unlock-cellpho/Nov 23rd 2006 3:11PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/11/23/copyright-office-rules-that-consumers-can-legally-unlock-cellpho/http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/23/copyright-office-rules-that-consumers-can-legally-unlock-cellpho/Nov 23rd 2006 3:13PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/11/23/copyright-office-rules-that-consumers-can-legally-unlock-cellpho/http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/23/copyright-office-rules-that-consumers-can-legally-unlock-cellpho/Nov 23rd 2006 3:31PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/11/23/copyright-office-rules-that-consumers-can-legally-unlock-cellpho/http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/23/copyright-office-rules-that-consumers-can-legally-unlock-cellpho/Nov 23rd 2006 3:38PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/11/23/copyright-office-rules-that-consumers-can-legally-unlock-cellpho/http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/23/copyright-office-rules-that-consumers-can-legally-unlock-cellpho/Nov 23rd 2006 3:41PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/11/23/copyright-office-rules-that-consumers-can-legally-unlock-cellpho/http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/23/copyright-office-rules-that-consumers-can-legally-unlock-cellpho/Nov 23rd 2006 3:57PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/11/23/copyright-office-rules-that-consumers-can-legally-unlock-cellpho/http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/23/copyright-office-rules-that-consumers-can-legally-unlock-cellpho/Nov 23rd 2006 3:38PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/11/23/copyright-office-rules-that-consumers-can-legally-unlock-cellpho/http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/23/copyright-office-rules-that-consumers-can-legally-unlock-cellpho/Nov 23rd 2006 3:45PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/11/23/copyright-office-rules-that-consumers-can-legally-unlock-cellpho/http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/23/copyright-office-rules-that-consumers-can-legally-unlock-cellpho/Nov 23rd 2006 4:27PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/11/23/copyright-office-rules-that-consumers-can-legally-unlock-cellpho/http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/23/copyright-office-rules-that-consumers-can-legally-unlock-cellpho/Nov 23rd 2006 4:34PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/11/23/copyright-office-rules-that-consumers-can-legally-unlock-cellpho/http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/23/copyright-office-rules-that-consumers-can-legally-unlock-cellpho/
This is how it works dudes (practically give away a phone below cost in exchange for a customer staying for 2 years). This is what has grown the cell phone business here. Don’t believe? Go into one of those fancy new Nokia stores and try to buy a phone without service. YOU WILL PAY DEARLY because that’s what retail cell phones cost without service bundling. That’s it...

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]]>Nov 23rd 2006 4:37PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/11/23/copyright-office-rules-that-consumers-can-legally-unlock-cellpho/http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/23/copyright-office-rules-that-consumers-can-legally-unlock-cellpho/Nov 23rd 2006 6:01PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/11/23/copyright-office-rules-that-consumers-can-legally-unlock-cellpho/http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/23/copyright-office-rules-that-consumers-can-legally-unlock-cellpho/Nov 23rd 2006 6:32PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/11/23/copyright-office-rules-that-consumers-can-legally-unlock-cellpho/http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/23/copyright-office-rules-that-consumers-can-legally-unlock-cellpho/
no, its merely a "fair use" ruling. Basically the company can do what they want to prevent me from unlocking my phone, but it isn't illegal for me to do it.

capitalism at its best, imo. ]]>Nov 23rd 2006 6:43PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/11/23/copyright-office-rules-that-consumers-can-legally-unlock-cellpho/http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/23/copyright-office-rules-that-consumers-can-legally-unlock-cellpho/Nov 23rd 2006 8:07PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/11/23/copyright-office-rules-that-consumers-can-legally-unlock-cellpho/http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/23/copyright-office-rules-that-consumers-can-legally-unlock-cellpho/
As for why you'd want to unlock your handset...partly so you can use it on the competitors' network. Sure...it may not be as cutting edge (if it ever was) as when you bought it, but you have it set up the way you like and you don't lose any information. OR you can use a pre-paid sim when traveling abroad, and avoid those nasty-nasty roaming fees. ]]>Nov 23rd 2006 8:09PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/11/23/copyright-office-rules-that-consumers-can-legally-unlock-cellpho/http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/23/copyright-office-rules-that-consumers-can-legally-unlock-cellpho/
My personal wish - cellphone sales to be separated from service providers. Unit prices optimize, while innovations such as wifi voip can evolve quickly, induce wireless data consumption. Providers then eliminate voices capabilities, and shift focus entirely to data.

Wonderful news indeed!]]>Nov 23rd 2006 8:09PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/11/23/copyright-office-rules-that-consumers-can-legally-unlock-cellpho/http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/23/copyright-office-rules-that-consumers-can-legally-unlock-cellpho/In Asia, all phones are unlocked no matter which carrier you buy from. This locking of phones are just cheating tactics from carriers like Cingular.
But it seems like its only Cingular and the formal AT&T that does this.]]>Nov 23rd 2006 11:07PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/11/23/copyright-office-rules-that-consumers-can-legally-unlock-cellpho/http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/23/copyright-office-rules-that-consumers-can-legally-unlock-cellpho/
http://www.gsmliberty.net/shop/nokia_unlock.php

]]>Nov 23rd 2006 11:24PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/11/23/copyright-office-rules-that-consumers-can-legally-unlock-cellpho/http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/23/copyright-office-rules-that-consumers-can-legally-unlock-cellpho/Nov 23rd 2006 11:40PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/11/23/copyright-office-rules-that-consumers-can-legally-unlock-cellpho/http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/23/copyright-office-rules-that-consumers-can-legally-unlock-cellpho/Nov 24th 2006 2:46AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/11/23/copyright-office-rules-that-consumers-can-legally-unlock-cellpho/http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/23/copyright-office-rules-that-consumers-can-legally-unlock-cellpho/Nov 24th 2006 12:45PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/11/23/copyright-office-rules-that-consumers-can-legally-unlock-cellpho/http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/23/copyright-office-rules-that-consumers-can-legally-unlock-cellpho/Nov 24th 2006 10:23PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/11/23/copyright-office-rules-that-consumers-can-legally-unlock-cellpho/http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/23/copyright-office-rules-that-consumers-can-legally-unlock-cellpho/
tell your carrier you want to go overseas and want your phone unlocked.

POC = PIECE OF CAKE]]>Nov 24th 2006 11:12PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/11/23/copyright-office-rules-that-consumers-can-legally-unlock-cellpho/http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/23/copyright-office-rules-that-consumers-can-legally-unlock-cellpho/First, T-mobile unlocks all phones EXCEP for Sidekicks. They have refused to unlock any sidekicks for the last 12 or 15 months. So, finally... I can unlock my old sidekick. So, T-mobile is not as benevolent as some of you say.

Second,
Kauz, yes you are correct. The Sidekick's data package can't be used on any other networks here in the US (except for FIDO in California). However, you can still do all your texting and telephony on it... so someone who just wants a full QWERTY keyboard for normal texting could use it on a different network.]]>Nov 26th 2006 10:58PM