^^ this is exactly why the carrier lock is bullshit. Then again, most carriers will give you unlock info if you're headed overseas and have been with them more than a few months.
Not AT&T, unfortunately. They're just starting to unlock at end of contract, but as far as I can tell won't unlock for overseas travel. And AT&T has sold most international-cable phones in the US, by far.
It's also illegal in most first-world countries and (recent versions) depend on calling emergency services every boot, so definitely not always an (or the best) option.
Older versions required calling emergency services, newer versions do not.
And they aren't illegal -- many first world countries require that phone companies unlock your phone if you request it, and of those that don't, I don't know of any where the hardware is illegal. They are openly sold in stores in the USA, which I think is one of the most restrictive countries about such things. Calling emergency services for non-emergency purposes is not usually legal, but that doesn't seem to be what you are saying.
Faking IMEI/IMSI/etc numbers is illegal in most places, though, and a number of the (I believe the Gevey in particular, at least one model of it) does that.
The way you phrased it makes it sound like the illegality is something beyond the fact that it calls emergency services. Is that the case, and if so, what makes it illegal?
I'm not an expert, but I know some of them faked IMEI/IMSI/some acronym numbers to pretend to be from the official carrier for the iPhone. IIRC, that is also illegal (as is the emergency services call in the newer ones).
