Hacking Legalized

[anvilt]

New Copyright Office ruling sanctions iPhone jailbreaking - Jul. 26, 2010

 

[closhedbb]

In principle, it was never illegal to begin with.

"Wicked and unjust statutes are anything but laws, because in the very definition of the term ‘law’ there inheres the idea and principle of choosing what is just and true.”

- Cicero, De Legibus

"If a law is unjust, a man is not only right to disobey it, he is obligated to do so."

- Thomas Jefferson

 

[ThreeDog]

i would not go as far as declaring hacking legalised, however they have now seen sense by allowing people to modify their legally bought iphones so that they can customise it as they see fit without the overbearing shackles imposed by apple.

as far as unlocking phones goes however, well it's about time America caught up with the rest of the world in allowing people to choose which carrier they wanted to go with on their own legally bought phone.

no doubt though apple will appeal this decision, they always do.

 

[Mischka7]

So with this decision, can one simply walk into Mordor (ahem...the Apple Store) with a plainly jailbroken iPhone, and receive support?

 

[wintersg3]

I imagine it will still void the warranty.

 

[closhedbb]

So with this decision, can one simply walk into Mordor (ahem...the Apple Store) with a plainly jailbroken iPhone, and receive support?

Even if yes, you're almost sure to get 3x the smug you usually get. And what you usually get is quite a bit.

 

[sabrewings]

So with this decision, can one simply walk into Mordor (ahem...the Apple Store) with a plainly jailbroken iPhone, and receive support?

No.

The Copyright Office's decision means that jailbreakers will not face legal sanctions, but phone makers are still free to fight back technologically against the practice. Apple typically voids the warranty on iPhones that owners have hacked.

 

[Mischka7]

/\ Thanks for that. I didn't even realize jailbreakers faced legal sanctions in the first place.

 

[ThreeDog]

So with this decision, can one simply walk into Mordor (ahem...the Apple Store) with a plainly jailbroken iPhone, and receive support?

no. you'r still going to be voiding the warranty. however now your no longer breaking the law by jailbreaking the phone in the first place.

 

[sabrewings]

It was silly to start with. That's like saying it's against the law to modify my car. Sure, the warranty as it pertains to that part of the car is pretty much worthless, but the car company can't sue me for making their product better.

 

[yojoe600]

i didnt think they could get mad anyway

edit: nice avatar winter

 

[killadanny]

I bought the product, we should be allowed to do whatever we want with it.

 

[ThreeDog]

I bought the product, we should be allowed to do whatever we want with it.

i'm in total agreement however big corporations usually don't see it like that. especially apple, they tend to have the opinion that your only leasing the iphone / ipad / mac etc from them and that regardless of you buying it they still own it and can do what they want with it.

 

[DenverRalphy]

It was silly to start with. That's like saying it's against the law to modify my car. Sure, the warranty as it pertains to that part of the car is pretty much worthless, but the car company can't sue me for making their product better.

Actually that is a bit incorrect...

Unless you own the item in question outright, If you purchase a vehicle, make modifications to that vehicle, then later have to return it because you defaulted on the lease/contract; you can be held liable for the costs of restoring that vehicle to its stock condition. Happens all the time when people buy a car they can't afford, make a lot of modifications, then wind up losing said car. It's not the manufacturer of the item in question, it's the venue you purchased it from that you are liable to.

 

[najaboy]

I bought the product, we should be allowed to do whatever we want with it.

Technically speaking, you own the hardware, but not the software. The software is licensed to you and you're subject to the EULA.

Prior to this, Apple could have sought remedy via the DMCA. but I don't believe they've ever gone down that road since it would be more of a PR disaster than "antennagate."