Apple loses big in DRM ruling: jailbreaks are "fair use"

[EC-Bills]

linky

[BillsRUs]

Hopefully they'll quit being such bit@%es.............when I had to move to the middle east on business....apple and at&t both told me jailbreak my phone...canya believe that? Im like im not interested in voiding my warranty...the phone company I will be using is an authorized iPhone seller...their position (both apple and at&t) is that they dont have the "means" to unlock my iphone. Such BS.

[Fingon]

Google's Nexus One came with a built in option to "jailbreak" your phone.

[SDS]

"Apple has never sued any of its customers on grounds that their jailbreaking violates the DMCA, even though a February 2009 estimate suggested that over 400,000 U.S. iPhone owners have done so. Nor has it filed any breach-of-contract lawsuits claiming that the software license agreement was violated. "

 

So, any perceived threat has gone away, but functionally nothing will change. They never went after anyone anyway.

[Fingon]

"Apple has never sued any of its customers on grounds that their jailbreaking violates the DMCA, even though a February 2009 estimate suggested that over 400,000 U.S. iPhone owners have done so. Nor has it filed any breach-of-contract lawsuits claiming that the software license agreement was violated. "

 

So, any perceived threat has gone away, but functionally nothing will change. They never went after anyone anyway.

That's completely incorrect. This legalizes jailbreaking your Iphone and signing up for Verizon service. This could very well be the beginning of the end for cell phone/carrier exclusivity.

 

Someone could very easily start a company that sells jailbroken phones. All DRM can be gotten around, and it would be much easier if you have paid employees working on cracking it.

[GG]

That's completely incorrect. This legalizes jailbreaking your Iphone and signing up for Verizon service.

 

Provided that you also fabricate a Qualcomm/Broadcom chipset that will let you use that phone on Verizon's network.

[Fingon]

Provided that you also fabricate a Qualcomm/Broadcom chipset that will let you use that phone on Verizon's network.

I would not put it past the "hacker" subsection of the technology world. The original Iphone was released on June 29th 2007, and it was first jailbroken on July 10th of that year. It took amateurs less than two weeks to do it. Hell, the vast majority of video games these days are cracked and released several days before the game is even officially launched.

 

 

Throw some money behind these people and anything is possible.

[GG]

I would not put it past the "hacker" subsection of the technology world. The original Iphone was released on June 29th 2007, and it was first jailbroken on July 10th of that year. It took amateurs less than two weeks to do it. Hell, the vast majority of video games these days are cracked and released several days before the game is even officially launched.

 

 

Throw some money behind these people and anything is possible.

 

Unfortunately, the technology involved in that is more than what your average hacker can handle. You're basically looking to rip out the exitsing iPhone communications hardware and put in something you built in your garage & expect it to work. Let me know how it works out

[Fingon]

Unfortunately, the technology involved in that is more than what your average hacker can handle. You're basically looking to rip out the exitsing iPhone communications hardware and put in something you built in your garage & expect it to work. Let me know how it works out

There are ways to to get around this, such as tethering your phone to Verizon WIFI, but almost all other networks can be used with the Iphone. Regardless, 4G coverage (which Verizon will unveil in a year or so) is completely cross-compatible. So, essentially Verizon users might have to wait, but this very well could have legalized distribution of jailbroken IPhones.

[GG]

There are ways to to get around this, such as tethering your phone to Verizon WIFI, but almost all other networks can be used with the Iphone. Regardless, 4G coverage (which Verizon will unveil in a year or so) is completely cross-compatible. So, essentially Verizon users might have to wait, but this very well could have legalized distribution of jailbroken IPhones.

 

Again, no. You may be able to use the iPhone on wifi only, but why get the iPhone and not the cheaper iTouch? iPhone can only work on T-Mobile in US, and can't be used on T-Mobile's higher speed frequencies. Right now there are zero phones which will work with Verizon's 4G network, and the current iPhones will definitely not work on Verizon. Verizon's customers' only hope is that Apple comes out with a CDMA phone in the next six months. Otherwise, the wait will be a year or more.

[BillsRUs]

That's completely incorrect. This legalizes jailbreaking your Iphone and signing up for Verizon service. This could very well be the beginning of the end for cell phone/carrier exclusivity.

 

Someone could very easily start a company that sells jailbroken phones. All DRM can be gotten around, and it would be much easier if you have paid employees working on cracking it.

 

Can you jailbreak a GSM phone (at&t) and use it on a CDMA network (Verizon)? ....i think not.

 

Apple will have to come out with a CDMA version of the iphone methinks.

 

 

...on the other hand...if you do know a way...please do enlighten me...would save me a ton o' guacamole.

[Heels20X6]

Again, no. You may be able to use the iPhone on wifi only, but why get the iPhone and not the cheaper iTouch? iPhone can only work on T-Mobile in US, and can't be used on T-Mobile's higher speed frequencies. Right now there are zero phones which will work with Verizon's 4G network, and the current iPhones will definitely not work on Verizon. Verizon's customers' only hope is that Apple comes out with a CDMA phone in the next six months. Otherwise, the wait will be a year or more.

 

 

GG is right, we're talking about different chipsets being required to move across some of these networks. A jailbroken 3G phone will not work (under ANY circumstances) on a CDMA network unless the phone features a CDMA chipset that hasn't been "switched on" (as in many HTC global phones, that feature both EDGE and CDMA chips to cover all carriers).

[Fezmid]

I'd just like to point out that EFF (http://www.eff.org) is the organization that brought this lawsuit up fought to give customers more rights over the hardware that they own.

 

https://www.eff.org/press/archives/2010/07/26

 

I've said for many years that I'm a big supporter of EFF - and donate a little bit to them every year because of the good work they do. Some posters have attacked them as being like the ACLU or whatever, but those people are completely off base.

 

So if you have a few extra bucks and like the work they do, consider making a small donation. It's tax deductible too.

 

https://w2.eff.org/donate/index.php?s_src=h...s_subsrc=navbar