The new cell phone law gets it right, so quit whining if you don't understand!

Unlocking a phone you don't own is illegal - unlocking a phone you own is still legal

Unless there's an angle to this I missed... I totally understand and support this bill.

If you get a phone for free or at a discount if you sign up with a contract (typically 3 years) you do not own the phone - the carrier does.  Which is why if you default on your contract they charge you full retail price for the device on top of the service charges you would have paid during your contract.

If you actually do own the phone (such as in the above example where you've defaulted on your contract and paid for the phone) the law specifically allows you to unlock the phone from the carrier.

I know people love to get caught up in the hype of the moment (I do it myself all too often) but this is one example where I think the law actually gets it right

UNLESS there is an angle I'm missing - if there is I'd honestly love to hear it.

This article on the _Examiner_ website also backs up what I suspected;
"Not to be confusing, it is only when you buy a carrier’s specific phone, with a contract, that this law comes into play. Consumers can still buy unlocked phones that run across carriers, as both iPhone and Android have many models that do just that."

I'm going to rant and re-iterate this again If you get a phone at a discount for signing up with a contract you do not own the phone!  It is effectively 'leased to you'.  Thus, it makes perfect sense for it to be ILLEGAL for you to tamper with someone else's property until the contract is up (or defaulted on) and the phone becomes yours (at which point it is LEGAL for you to unlock.)

Reposted from my Google +Page with additional comments;