Unlocking iPhone 3GS still legal?

Is unlocking an iPhone 3GS still legal? I know they just passed a new law saying you can't unlock phones, but "legacy phones" are still legal to unlock. Does an iPhone 3GS count as a legacy phone?

Unlocking phones is illegal even if the carrier lets you.

Well since the 3GS is no longer sold & the law states that new phones from the 26th on are illegal to unlock then, yes it is still legal to unlock the 3GS.

I'm a former at&t mobility business manager.yes its legal, no a 3gs isn't a legacy. As of jan 1st in most countrys that phone u wish 2unlock, or put on2 a usa, uk carrier like at&t, verizon CAN't BE A STOLEN PHONE. So if you have a legal owned phone not on a carrier (like sprint, tmobile) you can't unlock it.heres how unlock works. When you buy anyphone in usa, uk.u place a data, text, call plan on the phone by the carrier. Who opens a legal contract loan acct. Per line. 2unlock it you need 2pay off that contract, ask permission in writing @store like at&t core store. Then they will take 48hrs. 2unlock it. And walk u thru the code given by apple 2at&t. Then your line can't use that phone, and your number is dormant in your name til u lock another phone 2it. So if you go 2tokyo use tokyo carrier.great, but no usa calls on your usa line will ever ring that phone. And note that some foreign made iphones won't work on usa lines.buyer beware. Be careful iphones have NO STOLEN INSURANCE. So you will be giving a thief $8oo unlocked phone 2sell.

It is only legal if you take it through apple and theses guys do! I have used this website once and it was great they do other carriers too not just AT&T.
official-iphone-unlock.com

Unlocking the iPhone 3GS is still legal, however, the process needs carrier permission. Without carrier permission, the unlock will be illegal.

I'm a current AT&T Mobility Subject matter expert. I have received a lot of questions about the legality of unlocking phones. As per the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, the consumer has the right to unlock a phone from the current network to make it usable on another e.g.AT&T to T-Mobile. However, the customer need to ask for the unlock code from the carrier or ask the carrier to unlock the device (process differs from one phone to another) provided that the customer meets all requirements prescribed by the carrier.

The unlock becomes illegal if the process is done by a third-party.

The law was amended last October of 2012. The Librarian of Congress gave a 90-day grace period for consumers to unlock their phone the way they want. However, after the 26th of January of 2013, all devices that are locked to a specific network or carrier (it doesn't matter if it's old or new) can only be unlocked by the carrier or the manufacturer's permission. Please refer to the article below (second link).

Christopher S. Reed from the US Copyright Office noted in an email to TechNewsDaily that "only a consumer, who is also the owner of the copy of software on the handset under the law, may unlock the handset."

The consumer mentioned above is the manufacturer of the device since the owner of the copy of the software on the device is THE manufactuerer.

Please refer to the copy of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act below.