Does The iPhone Break AT&T's Terms Of Service?
from the read-the-fine-print dept
Many mobile operators use restrictive terms of service to limit the types of things users can do with their supposedly unlimited data connections. Typically, these ban the use of things like VoIP and streaming video, and in this case, AT&T is no different, saying its customers can't use streaming services "except for content formatted in accordance with AT&T's wireless content standards" (and those standards aren't defined, of course). However, Apple has announced that YouTube videos will be available on the iPhone (as they now are on a wide range of handsets) -- but as IP Democracy notes, there's no mention of AT&T anywhere in the news, so will this service fall foul of its rules? While it would seem unlikely for AT&T to try and crack down on Apple, given how badly it's hoping the iPhone will help lure new customers, this situation again highlights the restrictive, one-sided terms of service operators force on their customers, and their selective enforcement of them.Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.
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Go for it
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Re: Go for it
Once you agree to their contract, they get to change anything you like, and if you don't like it, you have to pay them to break your contract.
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Re:
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You said it yourself
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If YT only works on WIFI then the AT&T TOS are moot.
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Not so fast
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You Tube
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Wifi Only?
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There is a Motorola phone available on both networks called the E815. It has slightly different model numbers depending on who you get it from.
On Telus, which has a ton of money invested in their crappy ringtone services, and charges you to get the pictures off your phone, the Bluetooth allows headsets but that it. It's otherwise useless.
On Bell, which doesn't really have much in the way of content they want to try to force you to use, the Bluetooth is wide open. I get files and pictures and contact syncing with Motorola's software. I also get to load custom ringtones I edited myself. But their data and text messaging services are expensive. Prohibitively so.
If Apple can break the back of the phone provider's kingdoms, then it doesn't matter if they sell any more than the 3 million iPhones they supposedly have in stock. Apple will still have done every one a huge favour.
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Surprising
In doing so, he made reference to there being some "low moments" and then neglected to elucidate on just what those might have been (although, no surprise). Here's hoping this works out for everyone, and doesn't just "BLOW UP". Recently Helio Ocean users were treated to "redirects" instead of their mobile YouTube page. The redirects hit a "paid sign-up" form, and speculation has been that unrestricted, unsurcharged access to such features conflicted with Helio's agreements. I'm wondering when users will start identifying Apple's iPhone "seams" and start rending clothes and gnashing teeth.
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60606
www.iphone-converter.org/convert-iphone/
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