The Freedom To Flash

Attention all user of pre-paid cellular phones and services!

It seems some carriers introduced to congress legislation to ban the unlocking or flashing as it is known of cellular phones purchased at an economical price and used with another carrier.They are calling it the "Wireless Prepaid Access Device Enforcement Act of 2009"

This is and will be known as phone trafficking and will be considered illegal which will also include fines if caught. Here is a copy the amendment:

http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billtext.xpd?bill=h111-2449

and seen here in a news article:

http://wassociation.com/news/2010/01/how-far-should-congress-go-in-stopping-prepaid-phone-traffickers/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed\%3A+WirelessAssociationNews+\%28Wireless+Association+News\%29


If they succeed in their plans are to thwart purchasers of handsets from large stores such as WalMart or Target and taking said handsets and unlocking/flashing them to another MVNO provider, it will put hardship on the end user (the US consumer) as well as the professional who also makes a living flashing these units. Making that act illegal would also impose fines if caught as well as run up tax payers dollars for needing government agencies to help enforce this law.

With the economy the way it is now and the citizens of the US are more froogle than ever, this will be a blow to any consumer and small business if caught and found guilty of this would be crime. Responsibility should be on them and not the tax payer to resolve and pay for if passed.

This law is also in direct contempt of the DMCA exemption law previously enacted in 2006 found here:http://www.copyright.gov/1201/2008/responses/ctia-wireless-assoc-44.pdf

We are to work quickly this bill was put forth back in March of 2009, please sign this petition and forward it to everyone you know so we can put a stop to it.