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Unlocking cell phones to switch carriers subject to Digital Millenium Copyright Act’s protections

Tracey Samuelson, Marketplace for Monday, January 28, 2013: “If consumers want to “unlock” their cell phones in order to take their phone from one cellular network to another, they now need to ask the permission of their carrier. Starting January 26, unlocking phones without the provider’s OK is against the law. But perhaps the most surprising part of these changes is that they came from the Library of Congress, a government department better known for its archives than its regulatory abilities. But in addition to cataloging gems from the country’s past — everything from old musical performances to little-remembered presidential speeches — the Library of Congress also oversees copyrights.”

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  • EFF – Is It Illegal To Unlock a Phone? The Situation is Better – and Worse – Than You Think
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