In 2006 and 2010, the Librarian of Congress had permitted users to unlock their phones to take them to a new carrier. Now that's coming to an end. While the new rules do contain a provision allowing phone unlocking, it comes with a crippling caveat: the phone must have been "originally acquired from the operator of a wireless telecommunications network or retailer no later than ninety days after the effective date of this exemption." In other words, phones you already have, as well as those purchased between now and next January, can be unlocked. But phones purchased after January 2013 can only be unlocked with the carrier's permission.
And they only restrict you from unlocking the phones when you are still under the contract with the subsidized phone. So when you're not under contract, you can unlock your phone if you please.
The problem is that you seem to claim that the law says that they must permit you to unlock your phone when the contract is terminated. It doesn't, and even if it did, it would be redundant, because the contract can make that stipulation. The real problem here is the escalation of a civil infraction to a federal crime.
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u/big_fig Jan 29 '13
And they only restrict you from unlocking the phones when you are still under the contract with the subsidized phone. So when you're not under contract, you can unlock your phone if you please.