What You Can Do About the Phone Unlocking Fiasco 416
itwbennett writes "Now that the ridiculous phone unlocking law is a done deal, and we all understand exactly what that means (i.e., 'fines of up to $500,000 and imprisonment of up to five years'), you might be left wondering what can you do about it. Well, you could start by lending your John Hancock to this petition at the White House's 'We The People' platform. It's already over halfway to the number of signatures required to get a response from the executive branch."
Is this really a "done deal"? (Score:4, Interesting)
Is there some explicit "no unlocking whatsoever" clause in the DMCA? As far as I'm aware, the only thing that's happened is that the explicit exemption for unlocking has expired. While I'm not volunteering to be the test case, it seems like there's a good case to be made that the generic DMCA language doesn't forbid unlocking.
In most cases, I'm not altering the software on the phone by unlocking it. I'm merely entering a code, and the phone already has software onboard specifically for the purpose of unlocking that phone when I enter said code.
Watch out when installing Linux (Score:4, Interesting)
Imagine the fun if they did something similar with operating systems. You bought your laptop with Windows on it. $500,000 and a 5 year prison sentence for switching it to Linux next. After all, Microsoft expects the revenue from their new app store and you are depriving them off that by changing to an open platform!
It's no more ridiculous than this idea.
Re:His goal has been advanced (Score:5, Interesting)
Its not liberal fascism. The whole liberal conservative thing is window dressing, there ain't no such thing as liberal fascism. You're state is fascist or its not. Our state is fascist. Any illusion to the contrary can be cured by a sufficiently long detox period. This is a nation of the corporation, by the corporation and for the corporation and politician's position on Gay Marriage only exist to get the "Rubes" as you so elegantly put it, distracted from the fact that they're being rectally assaulted.
My friends, they walls keep getting higher and the passages narrower. here's a bit of useful information. After the dip, comes the shearing, There are the herders and the Lamb Chops, and I don't expect anybody writing here is a herder.
Re:How America has withered ... (Score:5, Interesting)
Congress isn't afraid of the people any more because they've learned how to control them better. Distract the masses with things like immigration reform, gay rights, abortion, things that get people excited. Then while everyone is screaming about those things, pass laws that screw over the common person. That's why I don't think they'll ever resolve the distraction issues. They need them in the news, unresolved, to keep the attention elsewhere.
Re:How America has withered ... (Score:3, Interesting)
In fact, the birth of the United States of America was because the British government got too abusive, so much so that the people rose up and chased out the Brits.
They didn't "chase out" the British. They met them on the battlefield and killed them.
Our ancestors killed the Indians, killed the Spanish, killed the Mexicans. Today, we aren't willing to kill anybody for anything. Why on earth should congressmen be afraid? We're pussies.
Re:How America has withered ... (Score:3, Interesting)