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images.jpgThe AP is reporting that the Library of Congress has now given DMCA exemptions that allow the following:

1. “Jailbreaking” the iPhone in order to install applications that are not approved by Apple

2. owners of cell phones to break access controls on the phones in order to switch wireless carriers

3. allow the breaking of technical protections on video games in order to look at or correct security flaws

4. Allow college professors, documentary filmmakers and college students to break copy protection on DVDs to embed clips for educational purposes

This is big news. As to item 4, the industry has been lobbying against this for quite a while and it looks as if they lost.

As to jailbreaking, it may now be legal, but that has no effect on Apple’s warranty terms. It will still void your warranty. I haven’t been able to find a link to the actual text of the exemptions.

 
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