Sometimes it’s funny when we try to over-legislate. This would be one of those times. In a "ruling" that wreaks of insider corruption and powerful lobbyists getting their way despite common sense and fair play, an 83-year-old Congressional Librarian interpreted the Digital Millennium Copyright Act to read that unlocking your cell phone should be illegal under the law. Obviously, the ruling is ridiculous and likely will prove entirely unenforceable. But, it’s there to send a message to the masses: "Don’t unlock your cell phone because your monopolistic service provider doesn’t want you to."
With the likes of Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile and others already strapping consumers into years-long contractual obligations under the guise of "phone subsidies", now they’re saying that the phone you bought from Verizon actually still belongs to Verizon. That even if you meet the terms of your contract, you are not legally permitted to "unlock" the phone so that you could use it with a different carrier - or abroad - or in any way that you see fit. Instead, apparently the phone’s use while in your possession is still governed by the company that sold it to you. Funny? You bet.
Of course, the ruling stipulates that you can "legally" get your phone unlocked by your carrier, if they feel so generous as to ever grant such a request, which of course they won’t. And while all of this stinks for consumers, it’s really more indicative of a fundamental shift away from the traditional carrier-driven model that most Americans are familiar with. As people become more savvy about their mobile technology purchases, they are likely to realize that they will be better off with more freedom to choose among carriers.
With the emergence of Google’s Nexus 4 and a movement toward Linux-based mobile platforms, it’s likely that the next generation of mobile phone users will buy their unlocked phones themselves, outside a carrier arrangement. They will then own the phone outright and will have the ultimate freedom to choose the best carrier arrangement for their needs and their budget. It’s how things have been in Europe for years. Once America reaches that tipping point, things will change rapidly.
With the likes of Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile and others already strapping consumers into years-long contractual obligations under the guise of "phone subsidies", now they’re saying that the phone you bought from Verizon actually still belongs to Verizon. That even if you meet the terms of your contract, you are not legally permitted to "unlock" the phone so that you could use it with a different carrier - or abroad - or in any way that you see fit. Instead, apparently the phone’s use while in your possession is still governed by the company that sold it to you. Funny? You bet.
Of course, the ruling stipulates that you can "legally" get your phone unlocked by your carrier, if they feel so generous as to ever grant such a request, which of course they won’t. And while all of this stinks for consumers, it’s really more indicative of a fundamental shift away from the traditional carrier-driven model that most Americans are familiar with. As people become more savvy about their mobile technology purchases, they are likely to realize that they will be better off with more freedom to choose among carriers.
With the emergence of Google’s Nexus 4 and a movement toward Linux-based mobile platforms, it’s likely that the next generation of mobile phone users will buy their unlocked phones themselves, outside a carrier arrangement. They will then own the phone outright and will have the ultimate freedom to choose the best carrier arrangement for their needs and their budget. It’s how things have been in Europe for years. Once America reaches that tipping point, things will change rapidly.