Home › News ›

US Copyright Chief Breaks Handset Locks

Nov 24, 2006, 4:08 PM by (staff)

The Librarian of Congress, who is responsible for rulings on copyright in the US has granted an exemption that will allow users to take their handset with them if they switch carriers. The change, which takes effect Monday, allows users to bypass software locks on handsets with or without a carrier's help to lawfully bring their phones with them to a new network. The ruling found that software locks like SIM locks or SPC codes on handsets were not covered by the DMCA because they are designed to protect a business model instead of preventing copyright infringement. While this ruling covers SIM locks and other handset-based locks, the ruling does not prevent CDMA networks from refusing to allow a user's phone on a network. The exemption will last for at least three years, but the Librarian of Congress could be asked to review the exemption in a future DMCA evaluation, which happen every three years.

more info at Ars Technica »
more info at Library of Congress »

Comments

Forum Options

This forum is closed.

Subject	Author	Date
Try It	biggshaad	Nov 30, 2006, 11:25 AM
Re: Try It by store136 Dec 1, 2006, 1:27 PM Re: Try It by MrAbstracto Dec 1, 2006, 3:35 PM
Simply Put	Herd-12	Nov 25, 2006, 9:43 AM
Re: Simply Put by sanchezkk Nov 25, 2006, 9:45 AM Re: Simply Put by sangyup81 Nov 25, 2006, 10:32 AM Re: Simply Put by sangyup81 Nov 25, 2006, 10:32 AM Re: Simply Put by wfine81 Nov 25, 2006, 12:41 PM Re: Simply Put by sangyup81 Nov 26, 2006, 9:57 AM (more replies...) Re: Simply Put by Kagehiru Nov 25, 2006, 12:18 PM Re: Simply Put by captainplooky Nov 25, 2006, 12:23 PM Re: Simply Put by Kagehiru Nov 25, 2006, 12:27 PM Re: Simply Put by captainplooky Nov 25, 2006, 12:39 PM (more replies...) WRONG by sangyup81 Nov 26, 2006, 9:59 AM Re: WRONG by captainplooky Nov 27, 2006, 4:27 PM Re: It would be a useless thing to do by CS2006 Nov 27, 2006, 3:27 PM Re: It would be a useless thing to do by ts5671 Nov 29, 2006, 5:08 PM Re: It would be a useless thing to do by CS2006 Nov 30, 2006, 10:30 AM Re: It would be a useless thing to do by Brighid79 Nov 30, 2006, 10:47 AM Re: Simply Put by barryefau Nov 27, 2006, 5:11 PM Re: Simply Put by algorithmplus Nov 29, 2006, 4:32 PM Re: Simply Put by Azraelalpha Nov 29, 2006, 9:01 PM Re: Simply Put by algorithmplus Nov 29, 2006, 10:31 PM
Chargebacks?	Sp3c1al Ed	Nov 25, 2006, 1:51 PM
Re: Chargebacks? by algorithmplus Nov 25, 2006, 2:12 PM Re: Chargebacks? by Sp3c1al Ed Nov 25, 2006, 2:25 PM Re: Chargebacks? by vaspider Nov 25, 2006, 2:38 PM Re: Chargebacks? by Sp3c1al Ed Nov 25, 2006, 2:56 PM (more replies...) Re: Chargebacks? by vikasgarg Nov 27, 2006, 8:54 AM Re: Chargebacks? by ts5671 Nov 29, 2006, 5:11 PM
Big mess	ts5671	Nov 29, 2006, 5:15 PM
What about?	SkillciaX	Nov 27, 2006, 2:45 AM
Re: What about? by APWFAN69 Nov 28, 2006, 2:21 PM Re: What about? by algorithmplus Nov 28, 2006, 8:08 PM Re: What about? by APWFAN69 Nov 28, 2006, 10:21 PM Re: What about? by algorithmplus Nov 29, 2006, 4:22 PM
Verizon software??	squirrellydw	Nov 25, 2006, 5:25 PM
Re: Verizon software?? by MrAbstracto Nov 25, 2006, 5:54 PM Re: Verizon software?? by CS2006 Nov 27, 2006, 3:13 PM Re: Verizon software?? by sangyup81 Nov 26, 2006, 9:48 AM Re: Verizon software?? by barryefau Nov 27, 2006, 5:09 PM Re: Verizon software?? by staiano Nov 28, 2006, 3:07 AM Re: Verizon software?? by barryefau Nov 28, 2006, 11:11 PM Re: Verizon software?? by staiano Nov 29, 2006, 8:16 AM
What's the difference?	cm8023	Nov 27, 2006, 1:38 PM
Re: What's the difference? by staiano Nov 28, 2006, 3:09 AM Re: What's the difference? by APWFAN69 Nov 28, 2006, 1:50 PM Re: What's the difference? by staiano Nov 28, 2006, 2:21 PM Re: What's the difference? by APWFAN69 Nov 28, 2006, 10:22 PM
Sidekick for cingular	biggshaad	Nov 25, 2006, 9:05 PM
Re: Sidekick for cingular by Showtime_III Nov 26, 2006, 9:21 AM No by sangyup81 Nov 26, 2006, 9:47 AM Re: No by biggshaad Nov 26, 2006, 11:39 AM Re: No by TradeMark_310 Nov 26, 2006, 1:56 PM Sidekick question by APWFAN69 Nov 28, 2006, 1:48 PM (more replies...)
Better Late than never.	ATT Wireless	Nov 28, 2006, 8:47 AM
So like it said	gunny	Nov 24, 2006, 4:32 PM
Re: So like it said by trevor83 Nov 24, 2006, 4:38 PM Re: So like it said by PhoneMan3 Nov 24, 2006, 4:45 PM Re: So like it said by gunny Nov 24, 2006, 4:55 PM gunny's right. by eric Lin Nov 24, 2006, 5:39 PM (more replies...) Re: So like it said by algorithmplus Nov 25, 2006, 5:59 PM Re: So like it said by trevor83 Nov 24, 2006, 5:02 PM Re: So like it said by algorithmplus Nov 25, 2006, 6:05 PM Re: So like it said by MikeNoecker Nov 24, 2006, 4:48 PM Re: So like it said by Azraelalpha Nov 24, 2006, 4:57 PM Re: So like it said by gunny Nov 24, 2006, 4:58 PM Re: So like it said by MikeNoecker Nov 24, 2006, 5:14 PM (more replies...) Re: So like it said by Kagehiru Nov 24, 2006, 6:44 PM Re: So like it said by TinyJ316 Nov 26, 2006, 1:34 AM Re: So like it said by muchdrama Nov 27, 2006, 6:50 PM
Prepaid Phones	JDouble16	Nov 27, 2006, 4:55 PM
Is the sky falling on the current wireless business model?	CS2006	Nov 27, 2006, 3:31 PM
my imagination	WireMore	Nov 25, 2006, 7:59 AM
Re: my imagination by Phreaker Nov 25, 2006, 8:55 AM Re: my imagination by Kagehiru Nov 25, 2006, 12:22 PM Re: my imagination by motohello Nov 25, 2006, 2:29 PM Re: my imagination by sangyup81 Nov 26, 2006, 9:56 AM
When is this taking effect?	vzwbellstar	Nov 25, 2006, 10:20 AM
Re: When is this taking effect? by sangyup81 Nov 25, 2006, 10:30 AM Re: When is this taking effect? by HEKNOWS Nov 25, 2006, 2:07 PM Re: When is this taking effect? by motohello Nov 25, 2006, 2:32 PM Re: When is this taking effect? by sangyup81 Nov 26, 2006, 9:54 AM Re: When is this taking effect? by heyheyhey Nov 25, 2006, 1:34 PM Re: When is this taking effect? by sangyup81 Nov 26, 2006, 9:55 AM
what does this mean?	jonyboy27	Nov 24, 2006, 4:32 PM
Who knows.... by Phoneking13 Nov 24, 2006, 5:10 PM technically by eric Lin Nov 24, 2006, 5:55 PM Re: technically by ShadowScorpion Nov 24, 2006, 6:53 PM Re: technically by sangyup81 Nov 24, 2006, 6:54 PM (more replies...) Careful how you use your logic by sangyup81 Nov 24, 2006, 6:52 PM Re: what does this mean? by josh.freiheit Nov 24, 2006, 8:10 PM Re: what does this mean? by THEMAN Nov 24, 2006, 8:21 PM Re: what does this mean? by josh.freiheit Nov 24, 2006, 9:47 PM
Imagine That...	captainplooky	Nov 25, 2006, 12:19 PM
Re: Imagine That... by trevor83 Nov 25, 2006, 12:59 PM
Next step...	Wireless Buddy	Nov 24, 2006, 8:15 PM
Re: Next step... by Corpsman-Up Nov 24, 2006, 8:54 PM
I know what this means	sangyup81	Nov 24, 2006, 6:53 PM
Re: I know what this means by sangyup81 Nov 24, 2006, 6:53 PM Re: I know what this means by Kagehiru Nov 24, 2006, 6:57 PM

Page 1 of 1

This forum is closed.