Comment: Re:No good in Europe (Score 2) 234
This is fine if you're an island thousands of miles from other large population centers. The problem with Europe is that you're never more than a few hours drive from the next country. So even if every carrier in the UK agreed to block stolen phones, I can be in France within 120 minutes of leaving my house and I can sell them there.
This would need to be Europe wide to have any effect here.
Actually there is an world wide database (http://www.gsmworld.com/our-work/programmes-and-initiatives/fraud-and-security/imei_database.htm) with an blacklist. But as long as there are carriers in neighbourging countries, who would rather sell airtime than block their customers, its is not going to be effective.