If true, it’s a good illustration of the principle that: “Cellular providers are so greedy, they’re stupid.”

I’m one of those who uses second-hand iPhones to avoid those costly subsidy plans. One of the key difficulties with doing that is knowing if the iPhone I’m getting is stolen or not. A theft registry would make me and others like me MORE likely to be a part of the used market.

Perhaps even more important, good theft protection will make happier all those customers who buy one of the most expensive plans and insist on having the latest phone. When their phone gets stolen, they lose a lot more than I do. They’ll love a theft registry and the weakened incentive for thieves to steal one of those pricey gadgets.

Like I said, cell-phone companies are often so stupid, they have to be kicked into doing the right thing. That’s what is happening here.