Intellectual Property Law

Free Your Phone

By tim

Last month, EFF filed proposals with the Copyright Office seeking DMCA exemptions to cover mobile phone "unlocking" (allowing the phone to be used on any carrier's network) and "jailbreaking" (allowing the phone to run any software). Carriers like MetroPCS and Pocket Communications have also asked for an unlocking exemption, but the Copyright Office needs to hear from users, too. That's where you come in.

• Ever wanted to unlock your cell phone to take it to another carrier?
• Frustrated by not being able to swap SIM cards when taking your phone overseas?
• Eager to unlock an iPhone to use it on T-Mobile instead of AT&T?
• Need to "jailbreak" your iPhone in order to install the great applications that Apple won't allow into the iTunes App Store?
• Want to get (and keep) root on your Android G1 phone?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, please visit FreeYourPhone.org and sign EFF's petition and tell your story. The Copyright Office granted an unlocking exemption in 2006 based in part on input for individual users. This year, we can renew that exemption and expand it to cover "jailbreaking," too, with your help.

Full post as published by Electronic Freedom Foundation - Deep Links on January 15, 2009 (boomark / email).