[Da Coyote]

Simplest and most probable explanation: under the table bucks for the bat-ear-b*stard and his fellow felons.

[Wurlitzer]

Uh right off the bat does not the potential sentence violate Cruel and unusual punishment?

One phone switched to another carrier and the gestapo comes down on you like a ton of bricks.

[FredZarguna]

It's not a new law, actually. It's a direct reversal of an earlier interpretation by the Library of Congress that unlocking your smartphone for certain purposes constitutes a copyright violation under the DMCA.

This law is thoroughly hideous and should have been repealed long ago.

[dennisw]

BY DECREE OF THE LIBRARIAN OF CONGRESS

Damn! Obama has his stooges everywhere!

[MeganC]

This is simple for me, I was thinking about buying a smartphone and now I won’t. Screw ‘em.

[XenaLee]

What is the purpose of this law? Do they assume that if you’ve unlocked your smartphone and switched to another carrier....that you stole the smartphone and are therefore a thief? Is it to protect the original carrier? I don’t get it. Could someone explain this to me?

[AZLiberty]

This makes me want to unlock my phone. Unfortunately, I can’t: it’s a CDMA phone.

[elkfersupper]

Well, there aren't enough cops. Just like there won't be enough cops to deal with everybody who doesn't want to give up their health insurance information on their tax returns.

I know a lot of people who anticipate not filing tax returns at all from now on, because by the time the IRS scopes them out and pursues them, they will be long dead.

Sounds like a good plan to me.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

The more criminals the feral government can manufacture, the better.

[SeeSharp]

I think it only applies to folks who get a discounted phone with a contract. If you just buy the phone outright you can do what you want with it. Still... we don’t need the police to enforce contract law. It should be entirely a civil matter.

[muawiyah]

I’m sure the next Chief Librarian will be much younger and have a totally different position on this law.

[Daveinyork]

this will go down in history along with the law against tearing the tag off the cushion.

[SengirV]

United Corporations of America.

We the corporations, in order to form a more perfect monopoly, establish onerous fees, insure consumer dependence, promote overindulgence, and secure steady streams of income to ourselves and our Chief Officers bonuses, do ordain and establish this form of Government, based on under-the-table payments and kickbacks, of the United Corporations of America.

With rules like this, please prove me wrong. Don’t forget the other darlings of FR - MPAA, RIAA. Citizen’s rights < corporation’s rights.

[ImNotLying]

FOLLOW THE MONEY TRAIL! Somebody, someway, somewhere, is making a bundle off this decree. And no doubt, some politician is getting a kickback!

[unixfox]

Now I WANT to unlock mine. Screw these assholes!

[This I Wonder32460]

I’m not even sure what this means, so glad I decided to stay with my dumb phone rather than move on up to a so called smart phone.

[dsc]

Under what authority does the Libwawian of Congwess impose fines on anybody for anything?

Where is that in the Constitution?

[tomkat]

             

[SoldierDad]

So, what if I purhased a phone for the full market value of the phone? Also, how does this impact the situation in which I have completed my two year contract?

[ScottinVA]

Five years in the pen for... unlocking your SmartPhone.

Yet, we hear all this caterwauling about prison overcrowding.