New York - A company based in Northern Ireland that was set to begin selling unlocked iPhones has halted its plans, following phone calls received from lawyers for Apple network partner AT&T, the Associated Press reported.

UniquePhones.com had planned to charge a fee of $25 per iPhone for the software necessary to unlock the device.

While unlocking one's own iPhone for use on a competing network appears to be legal, the act of profiting financially from doing so is on shakier legal ground.

The U.S. Copyright Office said in a statement last year that unlocking a cell phone does not constitute a violation of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act's provision against circumventing security technology on a digital device.

It's still unclear whether companies offering consumers help in doing so, and profiting from such services, are legal.

John McLaughlin of UniquePhones.com told AP the company will delay the launch of its iPhone unlocking service while it seeks legal advice.

Related Links:
http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/070829/iphone_unlocked.html?.v=1 (AP)

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/08/28/iphone_unlocking

http://www.uniquephones.com