There has been a lot of talk lately about about how it's now considered illegal to unlock your smartphone without your carrier's permission.
The change comes as part of a three-year cycle for renewing the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (PDF). And in this cycle the Library of Congress, which has the job of approving exemptions to the law, decided not to exempt the software locks that carriers put on devices that prevent them from being used on other carrier networks.
The change has caused quite a stir in the wireless community since it took effect in January. An online petition was started, which has garnered some 114,322 signatures. And now President Obama's administration has chimed in offering support for a change.
To help readers better understand the intricacies of the legal arguments being made and to figure out it means for the average Joe, CNET has put together this FAQ.
