Copyright Office rules that consumers can legally unlock cellphones

Cell phone owners will be allowed to break software locks on their handsets in order to use them with competing carriers under new copyright rules announced Wednesday, reports the AP via Engadget.

"... In granting the exemption for cell phone users, the Copyright Office determined that consumers aren't able to enjoy full legal use of their handsets because of software locks that wireless providers have been placing to control access to phones' underlying programs.

The new rules will take effect Monday and expire in three years."

emily | 7:55 AM | News, Buzz |
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