Apple Thoughts: Pilferers Beware: 3.0 Will Hurt

"The problem isn’t that the version of iPhone OS 3.0 floating around the Web contains a trojan or anything, the new OS simply checks with the mother ship to make sure that the user has an active and paid up Apple Developer Connection account. And once you go 3.0, there’s no turning back."

Ouch. That's gonna leave a mark. You're left with two options: swap it under warranty, or pay the $100 for an ADC account. Doing either should get you running again.

And next time, read the fine print!