[MAGNUS]

WASHINGTON – 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. Every three years, the Library of Congress authorizes such exemptions to ensure that existing law does not prevent non-infringing use of copyrighted material.

Another exemption will allow owners of used cell phones to break access controls on their phones in order to switch wireless carriers.

I always thought it was legal to do this and only against Apple Warranty policy?


Clicky Linky; AP: New government law makes it legal to unlock your phone, load 3rd party apps on iPhone « Boy Genius Report

[Duvi]

I was just going to post this as well. Wonder if that means Apple will have
to service my i4 even if I leave Cydia loaded w/o wiping?

[big9erfan]

Apple was lobbying to make it illegal.

Just b/c jailbreaking is now "legal" Apple can still say that it voids the warranty as it loads a modified version of the firmware.

[MAGNUS]

I figured as much. Perhaps now the process will be "easier" as it's legal.

[big9erfan]

I don't see it being easier to jailbreak either. Apple will still try to make it difficult.

[iVenom]

ha ha i love that! the cant tell you what to do with something you bought. void the warranty is all they can do.

[chobbs1]

The only thing that is goin to change is now you will be charged for the jailbreak program. Now that it is legal they will make you pay for it.

[chobbs1]

I wonder how much it'll cost?

[big9erfan]

I don't see it going pay, regardless of it being legal now. Sure, some companies will get into the market and do that, but the developers that do it now, will continue to do it on donations, IMO.

[lungho]

If jailbreaking and unlocking your iPhone is now "legal", why didn't they simply make it illegal to sell a locked phone?

[macharborguy]

Plenty of misinformation around here.

1) it's not "legal", it's "not a copyright violation".

2) Unlocking of a cell phone has been "not a copyright violation" for the past 3 years. This is not new.

3) Apple is not prevented from continuing to lock down the iPhone via software updates, nor is other cell phone providers. They also do not have to honor warranties if you damage your phone or even go thru the act of jail breaking your phone and they are able to see that you did.

Keep in mind that some hardware devices can have their warranties voided simply by damaging a sticker on the device that covers a screw that holds the case together. You don't have to actually take it apart, just break the sticker, last I checked, it was fully "legal" to break a sticker of any kind, but it can still void warranties.

Just because something is legal or not a violation, does NOT mean everything is fair game.

[BuddhistGirafe]

This really changes nothing.

[chobbs1]

Ok, now that it is "not illegal" to jailbreak I still think title go to pay. These guys have been spending a lot of their time on the jb and given the opportunity, which they now have, they'll want to be paid for their time. It's not unreasonable but I think it might make a few users unhappy.

[macharborguy]

Ok, now that it is "not illegal" to jailbreak I still think title go to pay. These guys have been spending a lot of their time on the jb and given the opportunity, which they now have, they'll want to be paid for their time. It's not unreasonable but I think it might make a few users unhappy.

i've been paying for jailbreak apps, like MyWi, some of the navigation apps, panoramic wallpaper, etc.

[chobbs1]

Talking about the jb itself

[big9erfan]

i've been paying for jailbreak apps, like MyWi, some of the navigation apps, panoramic wallpaper, etc.

He's referring more to the software that lets you jailbreak, not apps that can run after being jailbroken.