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Mobile Phones Locked By DMCA

wellington map writes "A mobile phone company is arguing that companies that unlock their handsets violate the DMCA. They argue that the software on the phone is a copyrighted work, and the unlocker is breaking DRM in a way that violates the statutory prohibition on circumvention. A similar claim by Lexmark, which tried to apply it to people who refilled printer cartridges, has recently been rejected by the courts." From the Wired article: "The financial motive behind this claim is obvious. Companies have been using the razor blade business model to guarantee a steady stream of revenue ever since, well, the razor blade. Cell phone companies sell you a phone at a discount, and then make up the difference by requiring you to sign a multi-year contract promising to pay monthly fees for mobile phone service or to fork over a hefty termination penalty if you break the deal. But many customers, particularly those who travel internationally, want more choice."

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  1. AREEMS, AREEMS, I HEAR YO SCREAMS by (TK2)Dessimat0r · · Score: -1, Offtopic
    LATVIAN HOUSE, QUIET AS SHIT, AREEMS WAS ASLEEP, STROKING HIS TIT, SUDDENLY WOKEN BY THE THOUGHTS OF FOOD, HE WANDERED DOWNSTAIRS TOTALLY NUDE, WITH A 1 INCH ERRECTION, HE OPENED THE FRIDGE, A MAN SAT BESIDE HIM, LADEN WITH GRIDS, THE MAN WAS A NIGGER, HE LOOKED LIKE A MESS, WHY WAS THIS MAN WEARING A DRESS? THIS MAN WAS A DARKIE FROM THE GNAA. UNKNOWN TO AREEMS, HE WAS TOTALLY GAY.

    HIS 20 FOOT DONG STARTED TO RISE -- HE COULD SEE THE FEAR IN AREEMS' EYES. DON'T BE SHY, HE SAID, WITH A CAMP INFLECTION, ITS OKAY TO GET HIV FROM AN AIDS INFECTION. ANNOUNCING HIS PRESENCE, HE PLUNGED INTO AREEMS, HIS O-RING WAS TEARING AROUND THE SEAMS. AREEMS FELT HIS PRESENCE INSIDE HIS ASS, REMAINS OF DOUGHNUTS STILL YET TO BE PASSED.

    THE BLACK MAN MOVED FURTHER INTO AREEMS, VISIONS OF CAKES STILL IN HIS DREAMS. THE NIGGER CAME AND THE BUG WAS PASSED, AREEMS GAVE A FUCK AS THE HOUSE WAS GASSED. THE SS WAS HERE, READY TO KILL, HITLER'S MEN GAVE OUT A SHRILL. "SCHNELL", THEY REPEATED, AS AREEMS WAS CAPTURED, PACKED INTO A TRAIN HEADED FOR RAPTURE.

    WHEN HE ARRIVED, GREETED BY JEWS, THIS PLACE HAD FOOD -- HOW COULD HE LOSE? PACKED INTO A CELL AND GIVEN HIS FEAST, JEWISH CORPSES BLOATED WITH YEAST. A TASTE OF ZYKLON-B AS HE TUCKED IN, THIS PLACE WAS SOME SORT OF JEWISH BIN. COULD IT BE AUSCHWITZ? HE ASKED THE ASSCLOWN. HE LAUGHED AND SAID THAT THIS WAS IN FACT #BANTOWN.

    AREEMS WAS CONFUSED -- WHY WAS HE HERE? FEASTING ON CORPSES FOR OVER A YEAR. YOUR POSTERIOR, HE SAID, IS USEFUL TO US. YOUR ANUS AFFORDS US A GREAT SOURCE OF PUS. THE FATTER YOU GET, THE MORE YOU PRODUCE, WE WANT YOUR ASS TO BE TOTALLY LOOSE. OUR MEMBERS ARE KILLED AND THEN FED TO YOU, WE EXTRACT YOUR PUS TO USE IN OUR COUP.

    AREEMS COULDN'T CARE LESS, AS LONG HE FED, IT SADDENED HIM TO HEAR THAT HIS FRIENDS WERE DEAD. AREEMS GREW TO HIS CAGE AND THEN READIED HIS REAR, THE LOOK ON HIS FACE WAS ONE OF FEAR. THE DEVICE WAS TURNED ON, AND A WHIRRING BEGAN. THE PUS WAS EXTRACTED INTO A PAN. THIS WAS THEN EMPTIED INTO A BOTNET DEVICE -- A LINUX SERVER THAT ALREADY CRASHED TWICE.

    THE MACHINE CAME ONLINE, AND ENTERED #GNAA, CAUSING A SMALL AMOUNT OF DISMAY. THE OPS SET A PASSWORD, AND THE CHANNEL WAS STILL. IT SEEMS THEIR DEVICE DID NOTHING TO KILL. FAILURE OCCURED, AND BANTOWN WAS SHIT, THEY WROTE ON THEIR BLOGS THAT THEIR WRISTS HAD BEEN SLIT. WHAT A PATHETIC EXISTENCE, AREEMS SAID AS HE CRIED, HE WAS TRAPPED IN HIS CAGE UNTIL HE DIED.

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  2. Re:Sad thing is.. by It+doesn't+come+easy · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    You are a victim of the arbitrary methods used to accept or reject submissions on Slashdot. Acceptance of a submission is subjective to the editor who reviews your story. Unfortuately, the people who run Slashdot feel this is perfectly acceptable and don't plan to change it any time soon.

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