Image obtained from Gadget Review 

 

I happened to be browsing through Wallzy when I spotted a rather oddly titled article. I followed the link to Engadget  to find the article saying that it was now “legal” for product owners, especially Apple and Android owners, to root or jailbreak their devices. In my mind I’m thinking “This is a phenomenal breakthrough for us.” The legality of this subject has been disputed since the ability to Jailbreak an Apple device was invented. Despite that fact, over one million users continue jailbreaking their devices. During the process, they have bettered the mobile experience for us all. Apple even took note of that and added some of the previously banned features into their software. The same goes for Android. This goes to show that some good does come from jailbreaking/rooting. But does that justify the whole process? There seems to be more to the DMCA exception than what meets the eye.

According to a post by Giga Om, the U.S. Copyright Office never said jailbreaking was legal but rather that it didn’t violate any copyright laws. From what I’ve read today, a lot of people are missing that point altogether. We must remember that this only regards actions that are legal while using a jailbroken device like using software that isn’t pirated. That is where many people blur the fine line. Besides that point, there are still many loopholes out there that have yet to be addressed by new laws or regulations. Rest assured. Within the coming weeks, more light will be shed on this rather hazy subject.

Articles consulted:

Engadget- Library of Congress adds DMCA exception for jailbreaking or rooting your phone

Giga Om- What the New DMCA Ruling on Jailbreaking Actually Says