26日开始，购买新智慧手机的美国消费者不自由。根据美国国会图书馆的最新规定，未经电信公司许可，迳自把手机解锁(unlock)或越狱 (JB)属违法行为。
新规定只适用于26日以后购买的锁码手机。这意味在这一天之前购买的手机，仍可不经电信业者许可而「破解」。美国国会图书馆现在认定，手机上的软体只是授权给消费者使用，消费者并无所有权，因此不受「公平使用」规定的保障。
美国国会于1998年通过「数位千禧年版权法案」，规定擅用有版权的内容及侵犯管理科技的数位权，属于非法行为。手机锁码使其只能使用某一个电信公司的软体，受到此法的保障，而「破解」的目的，正是要打破此种软体的限制，让手机获得「自由」，得以使用其他电信网路。
国会图书馆有权豁免限制，智慧手机解锁早先即在豁免之列，不算违法，但去年10月28日生效的豁免清单改变，把它剔除。不过，新规定有90天宽限期，本月26日才正式生效执行。
有一个办法可以规避新规定：用全额向电信业者买一支不绑约的已解码手机，但这样做将使消费者多花数百美元。业者向愿意绑约的消费者提供很大的手机折扣 (通常绑约两年)，藉以招徕顾客，然后从语音和数据传输服务月费把钱再赚回来。
大力游说维持豁免的团体辩称，把「解锁」视为违法，违背竞争精神，将导致手机价格更贵，而且会制造更多电子垃圾。
联合新闻
As of Saturday, unlocking a cellphone is against US law.
The process, which allows you to use your handset with a network other than the one you bought it from, has just become illegal again as part of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA).
Unlocking was formerly allowed under an exemption to the act, ABC News explains, but in October 2012 the the US Copyright Office and Library of Congress decided not to renew the clause and it expired on Jan. 26.
Now, you must obtain your carrier's permission to unlock your phone or face a potential fine of up to $2,500. Anyone found unlocking handsets for profit could be forced to pay up to $500,000 and may even go to jail, according to ABC.
That said, "it's not like police officers will come knocking on your door if you decide to unlock your cellphone," the New York Times assures. It's more likely suspected offenders will get warnings from phone companies.
And you can still legally purchase an unlocked phone new (though usually for a higher price), tech site All Things D points out, while some networks will agree to unlock your handset once your contract with them is up.
Networks argue that the reform is necessary to stop people selling on the phones they got free or discounted with their contract, or dealing in stolen handsets.
But consumer rights groups say phones are the user's property, and users should be able to do what they like with them.
Campaigners are petitioning the White House for unlocking to be legalized permanently, Mashable reported.
"Consumers will be forced to pay exorbitant roaming fees to make calls while traveling abroad," the online petition reads. "It reduces consumer choice, and decreases the resale value of devices that consumers have paid for in full."
http://www.globalpost.com/