hard ti turn off shutter sounds in windows mobile 6. At least not with my UK model HTC touch.
Is its mandatory in Japan, then japanese issued HTC phones might also be crippled.

i wonder how they want to enforce this.
there is no technical distinction between japanese and non-japanese iphone and no special japanese firmware either. at least none that i know of.
can someone explain?

The jailbreak should deal with this shouldn't it?

I don't even have an Iphone, and, am not getting one. But this still really pisses me off, I hated my Samsung phone which had that same stupidity. I want to be in control, not the f#@king phone in control of me. FU Apple.

This is a requirement by law for all mobile phones sold in Japan. I don't know when it came into effect, but it has been that way since I arrived here in 2004 at least.

For heavins' own chappatsu saki and the luv of frish sushi! How will the great unwashed Apple cliqueless, forestall the exigency for 
Grope Therapy?
Why did the chikan cross the road?
Because, it took a hintae.
Sumo Do, Sumo Don't!
so so.

...this is actually a legal requirement, and has been for some time.

Stevie: Make that More Apples Per Day. Msr. Jobs has already had Fun with Knife, having Pancreatic Cancer Hacked Out in 2003. Unforetuneately, Msr. Jobs is Digesting Oneself, Now. Heres latest Article:

http://www.nypost.com/seven/07212008/business/apple_a_day_talk_120853.htm

Friends who have Visited Steve since Iphone intro state: Steve Jobs is Very,Very Thin & Waun looking. Signe of British White Power?, due to Waxen Skin Color or....grim reaper!!!. 
Never More....Never More States Raven by Door. That Parrot fellow might be heading into Last Summers of Yore for poor Stephen. Dying is so personal, then to be whipped publicly. Try B-Balanced Complex b-150 bid or double existing doseage if more.
drashek Md

This is exactly the reason that it's hard to turn off the shutter noise on some Windows Mobile phones (and, I'm sure, others). I was not impressed when I had the phone on silent and attempted to photograph a squirrel that was purched on a nearby car to where I had parked for lunch. Fortunately, registry hacks to the rescue.

Political correctness gone <hack>.

ha ha ha ha, ha ha ha... ha.

I'm sure the average Japanese pervert is too wily to be thwarted by this feature for long. By definition these guys aren't good with the ladies and spend reclusive lives in the family home, tinkering with technology, vinyl dolls and themselves. They'll soon find a way to disable this.