Legal in USA as an Exemption to the DMCA
Getting a new iPhone unlocked is against the law but jail breaking it remains a safe thing to do – what is in it for you
Many of us will never have an idea that the terms UNLOCK AND JAILBREAK are different terms. People always use these words interchangeably. When you unlock a phone, it means that it is no longer restricted to be used on other carriers. To unlock it means that the security feature of Apple will be circumvented so that tweaking, hacking, and use of mods can be enjoyed by the user of the device.
The legislative body of the US has made a ruling that if you have purchased you device after January 26, 2013, unlocking it is already an illegal act that is of course punishable according to existing laws. The legal way of getting a phone unlocked is to have the carrier do it. If you will use the services of a third party then this is where problems will start.
The Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) has been very clear in stating that until 2015, jail breaking phones and devices will still be legal. This is for the iPhone and iPod Touch only. If you will jailbreak the iPad then you’ll be in trouble. To sum it up, jail breaking is still good but when it comes to unofficial unlocking, you better steer clear from it. As the iOS 6.1 jailbreak approaches, it is a very good thing to know about this matter.
We know that there are many parts of the legal system in the US that might get an individual confused. Now, what can you really get from understanding all of those technical aspects of jail breaking and unlocking?
The US government has been particularly open that they still have a lot to cover when it comes to unlocking. At least, this is what history has been revealing to us now. There is 3rd party service vendors who will always be willing to sell unlocking info and this is something that legitimate carriers hate. Getting a contract circumvented while it is still in effect is a possible thing for people now.