Summary
• Federal laws are probably chilling the desire to provide unlocking services. • Cellphone service providers will enjoy a "walled garden" for some time. • Tying products to a service may fall out of favor, eventually.
Analysis
The Digital Millennium Copyright Act criminalizes the production and dissemination of technology, devices, or services that are used to circumvent measures that control access to copyrighted works.
iPhoneSIMFree's claim that not selling directly to end users is "because we want to work together with our valuable resellers as a team and not interfere in their business" is a veiled admission that Apple and AT&T would likely exert legal pressure to stop such a service.
Current copyright laws are a maze of technicalities, having been set up predominately to protect the interests of the content owners. However, the growing movement towards DRM-free content ownership may spell the way towards a change in copyright laws, and give the consumer more control over their software. The same may eventually happen with cellphone exclusivity.
