Apple Inc.'s control over its iPhone and other devices via its iTunes store was undercut Monday by a federal ruling legalizing jailbreaking, or altering the devices to install unapproved software, a practice used now by a small number of customers.
Posted on 07/26/2010 3:47:16 PM PDT by OneVike
Apple Inc.'s control over its iPhone and other devices via its iTunes store was undercut Monday by a federal ruling legalizing jailbreaking, or altering the devices to install unapproved software, a practice used now by a small number of customers.
The Library of Congress, which helps oversee copyright law, removed a legal cloud over altering of iPhones, iPads and iPods, to install and run software not purchased from Apple.
Jennifer Granick, civil liberties director at Electronic Freedom Foundation, the digital-rights organization that pushed for the change, said the ruling could open the door for third-party app stores. "Innovators now know that there will be customers for them," she says.
It's unclear how many companies will take advantage of the ruling, which affects a law called the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. By one estimate just 8% of iPhones have been altered to allow such downloads.
"I don't think it's that big a deal," said Charles Golvin, an analyst at Forrester Research Inc. "The mainstream iPhone customer isn't complaining about apps they can't get because of Apple's restrictive policies."
Apple has reviewed and maintained veto power over apps for the iPhone since it opened the device to outside developers in 2008. These apps can only be downloaded from Apple's App Store. Monday's ruling applies to other smartphone makers but only Apple now restricts what apps can run on its devices.
Computer experts have found ways to get around the code that tethers iPhones to the App Store, however, allowing device owners to download and run programs that haven't been approved by Apple. The legality of the practice was not clear, so it hasn't caught on widely.
Mario Ciabarra, president of Rock Your Phone Inc., which sells apps for jailbroken iPhones,
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
Are they permitted to switch to a Droid?
Hopefully Apple can at least refuse warranty service on altered phones.
Great now we can get tons of virus software trojan phisher’s just like windows and have no idea where it all came from.
Maybe they will start charging people to have a phone that’s not jailbroken.
Extra $30 per month to check your phone that nothing on it is a jail break.
Symantech can get involved and Mcaphee (sp) and don’t forget Zone Alarm - Lava Soft and carbonite to back all those virus things for you.
From what I understand, you can change the software so that you are not locked into apples contracts with whomever they contracted with for services.
I might be wrong,. but that is what I get from much of this.
How could I have left out Stop - Zilla
Apple’s Digital Fascism has taken a mortal hit!
This is way bigger than the iceberg that sunk the Titanic.
.
So now Flash can crash my iphone? Can’t wait.
And once flash is in. It can start installing all kinds of Junk whooopie.
Flashlets we can call them.
Guess Jobs should have busted out a little more bling during the election.
I believe that apple will begin working on just such a thing. What choice do they have. From what I can see the ruling does not prohibit it.
Only reason I might be interested is to be able to tether the phone as a wifi hot spot.
iOS4 crashes my phone already. I don’t need flash.
I agree, this is more than a mere slice along the side of their ship. This could change apple in may ways.
Apple will become what Microsoft is. The elephants nose is now under the tent covering and soon it will wag the dog.
Slow down my phone and run in the background.
Like I said. Mac’s i-Phone will become a pc knock off with all the problems and headaches pc users enjoy.
Yeah baby, I LOVE it when my pc phone spontaneously reboots, or when it beeps when an eMail shows up and I’m listening to a caller, or better yet, a reminder for a meeting that already happened. Yee-hah. Those defaults settings are AWESOME!!!!!
Yeah baby, I LOVE it when my pc phone spontaneously reboots, or when it beeps when an eMail shows up and I’m listening to a caller, or better yet, a reminder for a meeting that already happened. Yee-hah. Those defaults settings are AWESOME!!!!!
That's a mixed metaphor that Lisa Douglas would be proud of!
Remember, Ruth is stronger than friction.
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