Owners of the iPhone will be able to break electronic locks on their devices in order to download applications that have not been approved by Apple. The government is making that legal under new rules announced Monday.
The decision to allow the practice commonly known as "jailbreaking" is one of a handful of new exemptions from a federal law that prohibits the circumvention of technical measures that control access to copyrighted works.
In addition to jailbreaking, other exemptions announced Monday would:
- allow owners of used cell phones to break access controls on their phones in order to switch wireless carriers.
- allow people to break technical protections on video games to investigate or correct security flaws.
- allow college professors, film students and documentary filmmakers to break copy-protection measures on DVDs so they can embed clips for educational purposes, criticism, commentary and noncommercial videos.
- allow computer owners to bypass the need for external security devices called dongles if the dongle no longer works and cannot be replaced.
NeliX4 kirjoitti:Taitaa kuitenkin takuu mennä kuten ennenkin...
On balance, the Register concludes that when one jailbreaks a smartphone in order to make the operating system on that phone interoperable with an independently created application that has not been approved by the maker of the smartphone or the maker of its operating system, the modifications that are made purely for the purpose of such interoperability are fair uses.
Joten takuun mitätöiminen jailbreikkiin vedoten ei enää onnistuisi.
Update 2: Some observers have pointed out the the Library of Congress ruling today also addresses the issue of mobile phone unlocking, which involves moving a device to another wireless carrier for which support is not generally offered. Today's ruling only states, however, that copyright concerns can not be used to prohibit unlocking of mobile phones under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. Carriers are still free to prevent unlocking in many circumstances and can pursue cases against individuals by citing breach of contract under the carriers' Terms of Service.
Tue Hesan kerjäläisiä. Osta heille junalippu Mikkeliin ihmettelemään Qi latausta Kalkutan lentoaseman lisäksi...
