Hack Your Phone, Go to Jail

thodu writes: "This bill [Mobile Telephones (Re-Programming)] in the UK aims to make it illegal for anyone to change a GSM phone's IMEI number. Though the intention in this case is seemingly for the good (to track and prevent stolen phones from being used), the line between legitimate mods and illegal hacks is increasingly becoming blurred. What next - a bill to disallow modifying your PC ?"

Comments

First Post Haiku

[Rhombus]

Tried to type it in
But failed to get the first post
Damn these weak flesh hands.

Wasn't this passed already?`

[truthsearch]

"What next - a bill to disallow modifying your PC?"

Didn't the Microsoft board already pass that bill and had Bill G sign it into law?

Flamebait, I know, but hard to resist. But really, it seems strange that XP requires you to re-register if too much hardware is changed on your PC. The only stealing it really prevents is duplicating a hard disk and installing that hard disk in a different computer containing different hardware. Ok, so it's Offtopic too, but it sorta relates to the whole "What am I not allowed to do now?" question.