Unlocking Your Smartphone Now Illegal

As of last weekend, it is now a criminal offense to unlock your smartphone in an effort to make it available with other carriers. The new law, called the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, will fine first time offenders up to $500,000, imprison them for up to five years, or both. The law was passed by the Library of Congress in October of last year, and allowed a 90-day window before the new legislation would take effect.

That window closed on January 26.

For international travelers, this sucks. Unlocking a phone allows it to work on more than one carrier’s network, enabling it to run on other networks that use the same wireless standard. Switching SIM cards in different countries is often easier than setting up an international package with an existing carrier, and cheaper than accruing international roaming and calling fees.

If you’ve bought say, an iPhone 5 from Verizon or have a contract with AT&T, however, you’ve lucked out. Verizon’s iPhone 5 comes unlocked, and AT&T will unlock a phone once the contract has expired.

Or, you could just buy a smartphone at its full retail price sans a carrier contract, as they usually come unlocked. Phones purchased before January 26 are grandfathered in and exempt from the new law.

Not too happy about the government exerting control over your cellular device? Join these guys. 

Flickr photo courtesy of wicker_man