Jailbreaking is again illegal

 

“The Copyright Office of the Library of Congress recently reversed its longstanding position and stated it is a violation of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act for consumers to unlock new mobile phones, even those outside of contract periods, without their wireless providers’ permission, and that consumers are subject to criminal penalties if they do."

http://transition.fcc.gov/Daily_Releases/Daily_Business/2013...

--
Illiterate? Write for free help.

.

Oh boy, there's going to be some grumpy phone geeks out there. I know knew a lot of people for whom jailbreaking their phone is was the very first thing they do did when they get got it. wink

Yawn...

Like this matters. People will do as they please. The "i" crowd will "jailbreak" at will and the android crowd will root at will.

--
GPSMAP 76CSx - nüvi 760 - nüvi 200 - GPSMAP 78S

Jailbreaking vs Unlocking

There's a difference.

Jailbreaking is circumventing device manufacturer and/or provider restrictions to allow for 3rd party apps and tweaks to device settings that are not "approved"

Unlocking has to do with tying a devices electronic serial number and other unique identification characteristics to one carrier for the duration of a contract.

Jailbreaking is still legal under the DMCA. Unlocking, not so much.

--
*Keith* MacBook Pro *wifi iPad(2012) w/BadElf GPS & iPhone6 + Navigon*

Perhaps...

thrak wrote:

Like this matters. People will do as they please. The "i" crowd will "jailbreak" at will and the android crowd will root at will.

It will be interesting to see how this plays out. Remember that in order for a smartphone to be truly useful it needs to be able to talk to the Internet, and therefore it has the capability (at least in theory) to "rat you out" if you do.

It may also open the door to phone makers implementing (or strengthening) mechanisms similar to the "secure boot" feature already in place in Windows RT (and enabled by default in Windows 8).

Re: Jailbreaking vs Unlocking

kch50428 wrote:

There's a difference.

Jailbreaking is circumventing device manufacturer and/or provider restrictions to allow for 3rd party apps and tweaks to device settings that are not "approved"

Unlocking has to do with tying a devices electronic serial number and other unique identification characteristics to one carrier for the duration of a contract.

Jailbreaking is still legal under the DMCA. Unlocking, not so much.

Ah, okay, thanks for pointing out the distinction.

Not for Me

Personally, I don't intend to mess with the guts of my iPhone. Call me "Satisfied".

--
Tuckahoe Mike - Nuvi 3490LMT, Nuvi 260W, iPhone X, Mazda MX-5 Nav

My phone is a brick

I make calls and have a qwerty keyboard for texting. I'm happy.

--
Striving to make the NYC Metro area project the best.

Keyboard?

A qwerty keyboard on a phone? Mine just has a number pad. I use it to input phone numbers of the people I want to talk to. Isn't that what a "Phone" is for? smile

--
-Quest, Nuvi 1390T

I had to upgrade my last cell phone

The rotary dial broke. razz

--
Striving to make the NYC Metro area project the best.

.

ddeerrff wrote:

A qwerty keyboard on a phone? Mine just has a number pad. I use it to input phone numbers of the people I want to talk to. Isn't that what a "Phone" is for? smile

Well, that's what a phone/cellphone is for but NOT what a smart phone is for. If you opt out, that's OK.

This is a forum for discussing smart phones & tablets so I guess that's why discussion about qwerty keyboards came up. wink

--
If you don't know where you are going, you might wind up someplace else. - Yogi Berra

Jailbreak != unlock

Misleading title.
Jailbreak != unlock

deja view

chewbacca wrote:

Misleading title.
Jailbreak != unlock

sounds familiar... scroll up...

--
*Keith* MacBook Pro *wifi iPad(2012) w/BadElf GPS & iPhone6 + Navigon*

I know. I've read it. Does

I know. I've read it. Does that mean I can't say it again?

Unlocking phone

Okay, I am confused.
When my contract ran out on my not so smart phones, I called the carrier and manufacture and got an unlock code.
They do not do this out of the kindness of their heart, it was a law they release you after you fulfilled you end of the contract.
I now have two phones that I can use when I travel outside the USA. I get a local sim card and pay no roaming charges.
Will the carrier and manufacture still be required to do this?
I hope so my IPhone is almost out of contact.

--
It's these changes in latitudes, changes in attitudes Nothing remains quite the same With all of our running and all of our cunning If we couldn't laugh we would all go insane

An online petition

An online petition questioning this interpretation of the DMCA received over 100,000 signatures requiring the White House to respond to this matter. The administration issued statements agreeing with the petitioners. The White House believes that this action limits consumer choice and competition, but I've read that the executive branch cannot really do anything about it. Congress needs to take action or the Library of Congress needs to reverse the decision. The Librarian is standing firm, but those in Congress have already introduced bi-partisan bills to combat this decision. Who knew the Librarian of Congress had so much power!

Me too

camerabob wrote:

The rotary dial broke. razz

Sara died.

Nope

islanderswp wrote:

Will the carrier and manufacture still be required to do this?
I hope so my IPhone is almost out of contact.

You have to ask the 'permission' of your carrier, as it stands now.

--
nüvi 3790T | Those who make peaceful revolution impossible, will make violent revolution inevitable ~ JFK

AT&T

Juggernaut wrote:
islanderswp wrote:

Will the carrier and manufacture still be required to do this?
I hope so my IPhone is almost out of contact.

You have to ask the 'permission' of your carrier, as it stands now.

I have an at&t phone, not a smart phone, just a couple of weeks after I bought it I was going to Europe, I called at&t and told them I wanted to buy a sims card after I got to Europe to use for vacation over there and they told me how to unlock it. Nice of them, or may have something to do with I am on a pay as you go and not a contract. Either way it was nice of them.

--
Mary, Nuvi 2450, Garmin Viago, Honda Navigation, Nuvi 750 (gave to son)

My Cell Phone

Heck, my cell phone is so old it doesn't even have a camera built in.

Laws are only effective if there's a easily enforced methodology to enforce the law. This one sounds like a law that shouldn't be.

Fred

Rooting and jailbreaking vs Unlocking

There is a difference between Apple jailbreaking or Android rooting (which are simular) and unlocking.

Jailbreaking gives you the ability to control what software (app or apk) or even a new Rom you can install or remove from your device.

While unlocking enables you to choose a carrier however it must be a compatable device for the carrier.

Bell IMEI Checker: https://www.bell.ca/shopping/jsp/pageblock_styles/ToolBox/im...

Telus IMEI Checker: http://www.telusmobility.com/en/NS/phones_and_devices/device...

--
Using Android Based GPS.The above post and my sig reflects my own opinions, expressed for the purpose of informing or inspiring, not commanding. Naturally, you are free to reject or embrace whatever you read.

soon

FZbar wrote:

Heck, my cell phone is so old it doesn't even have a camera built in.

Laws are only effective if there's a easily enforced methodology to enforce the law. This one sounds like a law that shouldn't be.

Fred

Soon you will have no choice, and will have a smartphone along with a GPSr as a bonus. TheDumb phones days are numbered.

--
Using Android Based GPS.The above post and my sig reflects my own opinions, expressed for the purpose of informing or inspiring, not commanding. Naturally, you are free to reject or embrace whatever you read.

price drop for smartphones?

BobDee wrote:
FZbar wrote:

Heck, my cell phone is so old it doesn't even have a camera built in.

Laws are only effective if there's a easily enforced methodology to enforce the law. This one sounds like a law that shouldn't be.

Fred

Soon you will have no choice, and will have a smartphone along with a GPSr as a bonus. TheDumb phones days are numbered.

BobDee, as soon as smartphone will cost as much as "dumb" phone I will get one. I don't think there will be such price drop soon. So as long as "smart" cost at least a few times more than "dumb" there is big market for "dumbphones".

Jailbreaking

Jail breaking and Rooting? I guess when I was working I may have had a need. Now retired, I use a cheaper than dirt flip phone for emergency calls only. No texting, or any fancy stuff. I love not being married to a small electronic tether.

--
Dudlee

controversy

It seems this forum loves controversy. Look at how people debate over red light cams, as if there is no such thing as right and wrong. Now, people even make statements that they don't have a smartphone, as if people who do are somehow slaves to electronics etc.

My employer requires me to have a smartphone and pays for it, I have never paid for a cell phone since I started working in 1999. The flip side is that they can ask me to do anything at anytime. But do they? Of course not, there is a human element to it, it's not like electronics have taken over the world. The only time I was ever on the phone for hours when I wasn't on the clock, was during Hurricane Sandy.

Soon?

BobDee wrote:

Soon you will have no choice, and will have a smartphone along with a GPSr as a bonus. TheDumb phones days are numbered.

The number might be past my days on earth. Dumb phones are still popular around here.

--
1490LMT 1450LMT 295w

interesting

BobDee wrote:
FZbar wrote:

Heck, my cell phone is so old it doesn't even have a camera built in.

Laws are only effective if there's a easily enforced methodology to enforce the law. This one sounds like a law that shouldn't be.

Fred

Soon you will have no choice, and will have a smartphone along with a GPSr as a bonus. TheDumb phones days are numbered.

we've had a thread on smartphones replacing PND devices, CNN had an article on the smartphone replacing the point and shoot camera, and this one smartphones replacing the 'dumb' variety.

My goodness, both the political & humerous possibilities ...

... of this thread are endless! grin

Clear and concise

Clear and concise... thanks for that straight forward distinction between jailbreaking/rooting and Unlocking as I believe I understand it.

Far as I know the carrier may unlock on request, depending on the situation. I've had it done by them on my phone.

One reason for rooting an android or jailbreaking an Iphone would be the consumer's frustration with the collusion between carrier and phone manufacturers who dream up rationalizations as to why they NEED bloatware apps forced to remain on our phones even after the contract period has expired. Note they drain battery power and are hard to"kill". So much for choice.

Maybe some day we will be

Maybe some day we will be able to order a phone online and use it on any cell phone network.

The cell phone companies should not be in the selling phone business - or at least not selling phones which only work on their network.

the original post is old news

This original FCC report is from March.

The new FCC leader said the opposite in June and I believe reversed the policy.

http://bgr.com/2013/06/20/fcc-chairman-wheeler-cellphone-unl...

Once Genachowski made the original statement, many ebay sites that offered to unlock your iphones or smartphones delisted but now with the policy change by Wheeler, I am seeing these ebay listings now available.

.

Makinja wrote:

One reason for rooting an android or jailbreaking an Iphone would be the consumer's frustration with the collusion between carrier and phone manufacturers who dream up rationalizations as to why they NEED bloatware apps forced to remain on our phones even after the contract period has expired. Note they drain battery power and are hard to"kill". So much for choice.

Bloat ware? That may be the reason for rooting on an Android, but that's not why you jailbreak on an iPhone. On an iPhone you jailbreak to install apps that haven't been scrutinized by Apple. Doing so does open the door for possible malware.

--
If you don't know where you are going, you might wind up someplace else. - Yogi Berra

big brother

big brother is looking for something. Copyright is fine but you buy the device is yours.

.

HowardZ wrote:

Maybe some day we will be able to order a phone online and use it on any cell phone network.

The cell phone companies should not be in the selling phone business - or at least not selling phones which only work on their network.

You can do that now (Nexus 4, HTC One, Galaxy S4):
https://play.google.com/store/devices

They are all unlocked.

More BS from a BS government

The government officials and their big money buddies break the law every day, don't tell me what I can do with my STUFF.
And that's my opinion like it or not.

--
Garmin Nuvi 765T, Garmin Drive 60LM

.

Jery wrote:

The government officials and their big money buddies break the law every day, don't tell me what I can do with my STUFF.
And that's my opinion like it or not.

You are misinformed.

.

Jery wrote:

The government officials and their big money buddies break the law every day, don't tell me what I can do with my STUFF.
And that's my opinion like it or not.

Next time you get some STUFF, read the EULA.

--
If you don't know where you are going, you might wind up someplace else. - Yogi Berra

NewRule InCanada

islanderswp wrote:

Okay, I am confused.
When my contract ran out on my not so smart phones, I called the carrier and manufacture and got an unlock code.
They do not do this out of the kindness of their heart, it was a law they release you after you fulfilled you end of the contract.
I now have two phones that I can use when I travel outside the USA. I get a local sim card and pay no roaming charges.
Will the carrier and manufacture still be required to do this?
I hope so my IPhone is almost out of contact.

CRTC in Canada (like the FCC in US) has ordered carriers to unlock if requested assuming phone is paid for.

--
DriveSmart 65, NUVI2555LMT, (NUVI350 is Now Retired)