Jailbreak your iPhone? Root your Droid? Worry about its legality? Worry no more! The Library of Congress in America has added a DMCA (Digital Millenium Copyright Act) exception that allows unapproved software on handsets: otherwise known as jailbreaking in the iPhone world, or rooting in the Android and webOS world.
Here’s the full statement by the LoC:
Computer programs that enable wireless telephone handsets to execute software applications, where circumvention is accomplished for the sole purpose of enabling interoperability of such applications, when they have been lawfully obtained, with computer programs on the telephone handset.
Although this doesn’t mean that these companies will have to jailbreak your phone for you, it means that they won’t be able to sue you or file any legal action against you. So that means that you can jailbreak and unlock your iPhone, and Apple cannot call the practice illegal. And this also allows groups like the iPhone Dev Team and ih8sn0w to continue operating legally. Everyone wins!
As for the Android scene, there isn’t too much scrutiny regarding rooting in Google’s eyes, but maybe it makes the rooted users feel a bit better.
Even better, this means that ripping a DVD is completely legal, as long as you don’t distribute it.
[via LoC]
Jailbreak your iPhone? Root your Droid? Worry about its legality? Worry no more! The Library of Congress in America has added a DMCA (Digital Millenium Copyright Act) exception that allows unapproved software on handsets: otherwise known as jailbreaking in the iPhone world, or rooting in the Android and webOS world. Here’s the full statement by the LoC: Computer programs that enable wireless telephone handsets to execute software applications, where circumvention is accomplished for the sole purpose of enabling interoperability of such applications, when they have been lawfully obtained, with computer programs on the telephone handset. Although this doesn’t mean that these companies will have to jailbreak your phone for you, it means that they won’t be able to sue you or file any legal action against you. So that means that you can jailbreak and unlock your iPhone, and Apple cannot call the practice illegal. And this also allows groups like the iPhone Dev Team and ih8sn0w to continue operating
Well, Motorola has released an official response to the recent Droid X rooting fiasco. Their response? There’s no eFuse, and the phone doesn’t perma-brick.
Yesterday we reported that the Droid X was hardware bricking when one attempts to gain root access (known as “rooting” within the community). However, Motorola tells a different story. They say that there is no “eFuse” that triggers the bricking of the device. Instead, they say that if the device detects that it is running unapproved software, it will boot into recovery mode and will do so until official software is reinstalled.
Engadget got this response back from Motorola when they asked about the firmware.
"Motorola’s primary focus is the security of our end users and protection of their data, while also meeting carrier, partner and legal requirements. The Droid X and a majority of Android consumer devices on the market today have a secured bootloader. In reference specifically to eFuse, the technology is not loaded with the purpose of preventing a consumer device from functioning, but rather ensuring for the user that the device only runs on updated and tested versions of software. If a device attempts to boot with unapproved software, it will go into recovery mode, and can re-boot once approved software is re-installed. Checking for a valid software configuration is a common practice within the industry to protect the user against potential malicious software threats. Motorola has been a long time advocate of open platforms and provides a number of resources to developers to foster the ecosystem including tools and access to devices via MOTODEV at http://developer.motorola.com."
So wait…we’re a little confused here…
[via Engadget]
Well, Motorola has released an official response to the recent Droid X rooting fiasco. Their response? There’s no eFuse, and the phone doesn’t perma-brick. Yesterday we reported that the Droid X was hardware bricking when one attempts to gain root access (known as “rooting” within the community). However, Motorola tells a different story. They say that there is no “eFuse” that triggers the bricking of the device. Instead, they say that if the device detects that it is running unapproved software, it will boot into recovery mode and will do so until official software is reinstalled. Engadget got this response back from Motorola when they asked about the firmware. "Motorola's primary focus is the security of our end users and protection of their data, while also meeting carrier, partner and legal requirements. The Droid X and a majority of Android consumer devices on the market today have a secured bootloader. In reference specifically to eFuse, the technology is not loaded with the pur
You thought Apple’s restrictions on the iPhone were bad? Get a load of this. The guys over at My Droid World are reporting that the Droid X isn’t fairing well to rooting: in fact, the device kills itself at attempted root.
The Droid X uses a system that checks the bootloader at startup. Everything is verified. Nothing unusual, right? Well, here’s where the problem comes into play. If it finds that something’s not checking out, or that something’s been tampered with, the device just dies and that’s that. It’s referred to as an eFuse. The fuse “blows” if something goes wrong in the bootloader verification process.
Rooting will definitely be more difficult and expensive now that this technology has come into play. Will rooting be possible on the Droid X at all, and most importantly, on the new Droid2? Will the technology come into play on all Android devices? Why does Motorola suddenly want to stop rooting using an older technology? We will only have to wait and see.
[via My Droid World]
You thought Apple’s restrictions on the iPhone were bad? Get a load of this. The guys over at My Droid World are reporting that the Droid X isn’t fairing well to rooting: in fact, the device kills itself at attempted root. The Droid X uses a system that checks the bootloader at startup. Everything is verified. Nothing unusual, right? Well, here’s where the problem comes into play. If it finds that something’s not checking out, or that something’s been tampered with, the device just dies and that’s that. It’s referred to as an eFuse. The fuse “blows” if something goes wrong in the bootloader verification process. Rooting will definitely be more difficult and expensive now that this technology has come into play. Will rooting be possible on the Droid X at all, and most importantly, on the new Droid2? Will the technology come into play on all Android devices? Why does Motorola suddenly want to stop rooting using an older technology? We will only have to wait and see. [via My Droid World]
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