What the DMCA cell phone unlock ban means to you (FAQ)
There has been a lot of talk lately about about how it's now considered illegal to unlock your smartphone without your carrier's permission.
The change comes as part of a three-year cycle for renewing the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (PDF). And in this cycle the Library of Congress, which has the job of approving exemptions to the law, decided not to exempt the software locks that carriers put on devices that prevent them from being used on other carrier networks.
The change has caused quite a stir in the wireless community since it took effect in January. An … Read more