It seems like this article is saying unlock codes have to be given up by the carrier on demand regardless of contract. Does that look like what this is saying?

http://www.cnn.com/2006/TECH/11/23/digital.copyright.ap/index.html

I don't have a locked phone currently, but my parents and siblings do. I should have them call before this gets successfully appealed.

If it's the same stuff I read the other day it just says that breaking the lock is no longer illegal. It's an exception to the copyright laws. So you can feel free to download software to remove locks and anyone can feel free setting up shop offering that as a service (plenty of people were already in that game).

Oh, that's lame.

There are lots of places in Chinatown that will unlock phones for $10-20. I never saw cops banging down their doors, so the cell phone part of this law essentially changes nothing? The only good I can see coming of this is unlocking kits being sold at Radio Shack or Best Buy.

I recently got a Toshiba 904T unlocked from Japan, no problems. I'm not too worried about SoftBank coming after me, though.