After the recent announcements of the abilities to successfully unlocking Apples iphone, iphoneunlocking.com is now hesitating after calls from lawyers representing AT&T.
Unlocking the phone for one's own use, for instance to place calls with a different carrier, appears to be legal. But if it's done for financial gain, the legality is less certain.
"Whether people can make profits from software that hacks the iPhone is going to depend very much on exactly what was done to develop that software and what does that software do," Bart Showalter, head of Dallas-based Intellectual Property practice group at law firm Baker Botts, said.
The Copyright Office of the Library of Congress last year issued a statement that unlocking mobile phones was not a violation of copyright under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.
John McLaughlin of Uniquephones.com, an outfit based in Northern Ireland, said in a phone interview Wednesday that its unlocking software for iPhones is ready, but the company is holding off while it gets legal advice.
News source: Australia IT
Video: iPhone Unlocking Software
Unlocking the phone for one's own use, for instance to place calls with a different carrier, appears to be legal. But if it's done for financial gain, the legality is less certain.
"Whether people can make profits from software that hacks the iPhone is going to depend very much on exactly what was done to develop that software and what does that software do," Bart Showalter, head of Dallas-based Intellectual Property practice group at law firm Baker Botts, said.
The Copyright Office of the Library of Congress last year issued a statement that unlocking mobile phones was not a violation of copyright under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.
John McLaughlin of Uniquephones.com, an outfit based in Northern Ireland, said in a phone interview Wednesday that its unlocking software for iPhones is ready, but the company is holding off while it gets legal advice.
News source: Australia IT Video: iPhone Unlocking Software
man it's the only thing they can do now if they profit its illegal if not then it's legal
Ha! That's smart >_>;
Ha! That's smart >_>;
Its an old trick. To get around SGI and selling an IRIX media you had to have a piece of original SGI equipment - so basically you have $50 screws being sold with a free copy of IRIX.
Some ticket scalps in NZ did the same thing, $500 for a pencil with free rugby world cup tickets.
If you're not profiting from it, you aren't in direct competition with the designer and you are free to do it as you wish.
It would no more be a problem to pay someone to unlock it than it would be to pay someone to repair or upgrade it.
What is it with these greedy hi-tech companies? Do none of these people drive cars? Do they always return to the original salesman to have more gas put in it, or new tyres fitted? A car costs a shed load more than these fancy bits of circuitboard - what makes the latter so sacrosanct?
Hopefully someone will put the unlocking software on irc very soon and everyone with an iphone can unlock it, and kiss the monopoly provider goodbye.
I think that whole concept is dead, and carriers should be more open to providing good phones unlocked for cheaper prices. If they can offer me a $600 phone for $200 just because I sign an agreement with them, I see no reason to pay that much for the same phone after being with them for a few years. I'd rather get my phone on ebay, I am capable of unlocking it myself.
Whats the point of having a GSM phone if you cant go global with it anyways?
Apple because they have put a monopolistic type control over their device, or iphoneunlocking.com because they are hacking a phone and trying to allow everyone access to what they want.
Personally I don't see why there is the demand for an overpriced, marginally unique phone that is restricted to one provider.
It's really quite sad that millions of people are starving around the world and all anyone can think about is the necessity to buy a phone for $600 that really is pretty limiting in features.
Apple because they have put a monopolistic type control over their device, or iphoneunlocking.com because they are hacking a phone and trying to allow everyone access to what they want.
Personally I don't see why there is the demand for an overpriced, marginally unique phone that is restricted to one provider.
It's really quite sad that millions of people are starving around the world and all anyone can think about is the necessity to buy a phone for $600 that really is pretty limiting in features.
They shouldn't be afraid to do it, I think AT&T doesn't have a legal ground to stand on, since they provide the network service, NOT the hardware, and the fact that the FCC has declared unlocking phones legal, even if you have to circumvent their built in measures to do it.
You know, AT&T is supposed to be the only company who is able to supply the iPhone. They have a right to charge whatever they please because Apple chose them to carry it. However, it's your right to choose which phone service to use, and what you buy. If you don't like AT&T/the iPhone, you don't have to buy it. If you can't afford the iPhone, I'm sorry, but it doesn't give you the right to circumvent AT&T's service charges and pay less for someone else.
I personally don't want an iPhone, $500 for a phone, $59 a month, just not worth it if you ask me. Especially since I already have a 30gb video iPod.
That's just my opinion though. I realize it might be a little controversial, but you don't have to agree.
You know, AT&T is supposed to be the only company who is able to supply the iPhone. They have a right to charge whatever they please because Apple chose them to carry it. However, it's your right to choose which phone service to use, and what you buy. If you don't like AT&T/the iPhone, you don't have to buy it. If you can't afford the iPhone, I'm sorry, but it doesn't give you the right to circumvent AT&T's service charges and pay less for someone else.
I personally don't want an iPhone, $500 for a phone, $59 a month, just not worth it if you ask me. Especially since I already have a 30gb video iPod.
That's just my opinion though. I realize it might be a little controversial, but you don't have to agree.
The whole thing here is not about people that cannot afford the iPhone or the plan, the issue here is people that don't want the poor quality service that AT&T gives you.
I assume that everybody here is here because they can afford iPhone.
By the way isn't that sort of monopoly? Sell iPhone only through a specific carrier? If iPhone was a common cellular phone fine, we could care less but we are talking about the most innovative piece of equipment created lately and only AT&T can offer you services?
People just want freedom of choice, either because they don't like AT&T or because they already have a good carrier.
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