If you have been following the Android forums, Twitter feeds, news sites and been listening to our podcast over the past couple of months, you will have noticed a hot topic amongst the Android Power Users about locked bootloaders and the Australian who is trying to take on Motorola U.S. to free their Android devices.

In late January this year, Motorola made an announcement on their Facebook page stating that they would be working on a bootloader solution that would support developers while protecting end users. This announcement coincided with some bad press received from their Motorola Atrix 4G video posted on YouTube, when asked in comments if the bootloader would be unlocked a Motorola representative advised the commenter that if they were after an unlocked bootloader, to look elsewhere. A media storm ensued and the subsequent Facebook announcement was made.

Read on after the break to see how one determined Aussie took the fight to Motorola.

This is where the story gets interesting, Irwin Proud from Melbourne, Australia decided to pick up the Motorola Atrix 4G from the United States as it was the first readily available consumer dual core Android phone of 2011. Irwin purchased the phone in the hopes that Motorola would indeed follow through with their Facebook announcement, thus allowing the high end customisation, such as CyanogenMod. After receiving the phone in late February and later finding out that the bootloader was not unlocked Irwin contacted Motorola to find out if they actually had any intention of unlocking the bootloader of the device. After 3 emails and 1 snail mail letter sent, to which no response was received from Motorola, Irwin decided to start an online petition using a site called Groubal.

The Motorola Locked/Encrypted Bootloader Policy petition was started on the 10th March 2011 and in just over a month has accumulated 8,500 signatures. There has been numerous coverage from Android specific news sites and has even spurred on a Facebook page that has over 500 supporters with the sole purpose of bombarding Motorola’s Facebook page with bootloader questions.

This was a huge step forward from Motorola and an admission of the possibility of them following in the footsteps of Sony Ericsson who recently changed their Bootloader Policy to allow users with a carrier unlocked phone to open the bootloader across their 2011 range of Xperia devices.

Irwin is still pursuing this further and will continue to do so until something concrete is released or announced from Motorola.

We will be following Irwin’s actions closely and keep the community updated as the story develops.