Activation Lock is a feature of Find My iPhone that is built in to iOS 7. It's designed to prevent reactivation of lost or stolen iOS devices by requiring the user's Apple ID and password before anyone can turn off Find My iPhone, erase the device, or reactivate and use the device.
Apple will not release any information that will enable a third party to circumvent this system: it is essential therefore that all IOS devices are disconnected from the iCloud before they are committed for data erasure.