Unlocking your mobile phone will become a crime starting Saturday

Let's bash a whole group of citizens and make overly generalized statements for no ****ing reason. Cause that helps. Stay classy people who just happen to live elsewhere on this little rock(in the grand scheme).

**** that. I do what I want. I buy it, It's mine not theirs. I'll hack the **** outta my phone, if I want to.

I think you're missing the point.
When you lease a car, It does not belong to you. You have to return it when the lease is up. It was never your property.
When you get a phone subsidized through a carrier. You agree to purchase the phone 100%. If you are negligent in your payments, or try to get out of the contract early, they bill you for the full price of the phone. You keep the phone no matter what. The carrier doesn't want a used phone back.
To me this act makes no sense whatsoever. It's just a way for more companies to keep you from doing what you want with your property. Seems very corrupt.
What's next? Maybe American car manufacturers are going to force you by law to get your vehicle serviced at a their service stations.
It's a slippery slope...

Those with certain handsets like Verizon?s iPhone 5 aren?t affected as it comes unlocked out of the box. AT&T, meanwhile, will unlock a phone once it is out of contract. Alternately, users can simply purchase an unlocked phone without a carrier subsidy although expect to pay a pretty penny for the opportunity. Unlocked iPhones start at $649 but you can get something cheaper like the Nexus 4 from Google for around $300.

So unlocking a phone still on contract is illegal? I'm confused.

I guess the real point is have fun trying to enforce it. How are they supposed to catch people again?

Actually it's now $349, but that's still a great deal for what you get. They've been out of stock though. Luckily though Google says supply constraints will be eased soon. It was because Google didn't put any limits on the number of devices people could buy. Consequently large companies were buying 100's at a time if not 1000's and of course we've had tons of ebay scapers cleaning up on buying them for $299 and selling them for as much as $600 on ebay!

Do they even know if you unlock it?

You are billed the subsidized price of the phone at the start of the contract. If you leave before your contract is over, it's not the money for the phone they want, its the months remaining on your contract for cell service they are after.

The US government the best government that corporate money can buy!!Sure am glad I live in a truly free country......Canada.You sold your freedom for the appearance of safety now your going to have to fight and maybe die if you ever want to wrestle it back from big content and their ilk!

Quick, everybody unlock your phones now!

Land of the free indeed.

Just what I thought... So they had to actually make a law to tell you to wait until your contract is over before you can unlock your phone permanently? Wow, are people really that stupid they need this clarified? Why would this EVER be legal in the first place? What benefit do you get from permanently unlocking a phone on CONTRACT before it's over? Are international customers upset about this? Well they are the minority, and if they can afford to travel overseas, they can afford to purchase an unlocked phone. Period.

Humanity is doomed. We're getting dumber not smarter.

Ha Ha Ha...Noob!
Once I start a contract with a carrier, they don't care what phone I use, or even if I use a phone at all. All they care about is that I pay my monthly bill. Once I enter the contract, the phone is mine. I am legally obligated to pay out my contract. Again, the phone is mine from day one.
The only reason the carriers are pushing this law is to force you to continue to use your purchased phone with them only.
What's next, breaking your phone will be illegal too?
Just for clarification...The phone is NOT on contract. It's just subsidized. Your service is on contract. The phone is included on agreement to pay X amount for X amount of time for service, not for the phone. Cell service costs the same even if you bring your own phone to the table, but you're not locked in a contracted service that way.

Just for clarification...The phone is NOT on contract. It's just subsidized. Your service is on contract.

I don't think so. You get the phone for cheap BECAUSE you agree to the (1-3 year) plan. Otherwise you pay full retail price. A contract is a contract is a contract. When you default, you pay the remaining of your contract (cancellation fees etc), and you keep the phone because they are asking for money to the end of your contract, not up until the time you defaulted.

My point was, once you agree to the contracted service, it shouldn't matter what happens to the phone. You're obligated to pay out your contract no matter what.