No contradiction here: the article linked (indirectly, via slashdot) in the OP agrees with the article you have found; unlocking is illegal, jailbreaking is legal.

Umm, this one confuses me, because my phone does that automatically. Whan I goe to an other country, I switch to the operator my operator has a contrac with...okay, I cannot choose...

...this is bizar...is the owner of the phone also the owner of a copy of the software? If so, there's no problem, it's YOUR copy...

We have the same here in belgium...phones that are locked to one "vendor"...you buy a phone (sometimes pretty cheap) and a subscription to the service of that one vendor. It's a package deal. But, you also have "free" phones, be it somewhat more expensive, but you put your sim card of chouce in there, eg choose what operator you want to use with that phone...
I did that, I got me a Samsung mini and kept my current subscription with Proximus, but...I can (not really inclined, Proximus is good ) swithc to a different operator...

To me, this seems a law that wants to protect the providers rarther than the consumer, but...I'm not a lawyer...

Ok that makes sense, but what about the DMCA exemption that I posted. Is jailbreaking tablets illegal like it seems to say ?

Of course. The DMCA was created to "protect" organizations liek teh MPAA and RIAA and related organizations and their corporate partners/members. This is just more of the same.

Anyone that thinks this is bad has never seen just how locked down some providers in Canada keep their phones.

Just wanted to add something here, surely a result of the law.

I have an android phone I purchased not to long ago on contract. The phone came with the ability to remove carrier bloat. Well, been waiting on a Jelly Bean update to the phone. Last night I get an update notification and I am eager to click the update. The update finishes and guess what? Not a Jelly Bean update but instead my carrier installed their bloat back on my phone and I am left with no way to delete it.

So this law is a bunch of crap and now I have to stare at icons I never intend to use. I won't mention the carrier for obvious reasons but it starts with an A.

Nexus 4 on order and buy out of contract cash on hand.

This is wrong, unacceptable

You can sign a petition against it, like it says here:
http://yro.slashdot.org/story/13/01/...locking-fiasco
https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/pet...legal/1g9KhZG7

Just BS (the icons are irking me lol).

Like buying a house on a 30 year mortgage with bright pink walls and the bank saying you can't paint them until it's paid off. Like buying a gaming console on a credit card and it coming with Mickey Mouse adventures in Goomla and not having the ability to get other games until the card is paid off.

As long as I am fulfilling my end of the contract, the phone should be mine. Sue me if I don't fulfill it. Don't make me stare at crap I don't want and or need. They lost a customer over this. I have to work out a way to pay five lines off. Well worth IMHO to get away from the evil empire we call carriers.