5 ms·
As much as I support geohot and dislike DMCA, I'm pretty sure releasing code that circumvents security (and especially the one that causes financial loss) is st
by rorrr 16y ago
As much as I support geohot and dislike DMCA, I'm pretty sure releasing code that circumvents security (and especially the one that causes financial loss) is still illegal.
http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/openlaw/DVD/1201.html#a http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/openlaw/DVD/1201.html#a
http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/openlaw/DVD/1201.html#a2 http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/openlaw/DVD/1201.html#a2
http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/openlaw/DVD/1201.html#b http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/openlaw/DVD/1201.html#b
There's one exception - circumvention is allowed only for security testing purposes, but I doubt he would be able to successfully use that clause.
- deleted 16y ago[deleted]
- steipete 16y agoso how is this different to jailbreaking an iPhone?
- eli 16y agoWell, first, I'm not sure it is legal to jailbreak an iPhone, but to answer your question it's different because the US Copyright office said so. There's a specific exemption to the anticircumvention provision of the DMCA for "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." http://www.copyright.gov/1201/ http://www.copyright.gov/1201/
- radq 16y agoIt is legal to jailbreak an iPhone in the USA. Jailbreaking was added to a list of exemptions to the DMCA last year. http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2010/07/feds-ok-iphone-jailbreaking/ http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2010/07/feds-ok-iphone-jail...
- eli 16y agoUh, yeah, I quoted that exemption. But it is NOT an absolute right. If you jailbreak an iPhone for the purpose of e.g. using pirated apps (which I imagine many people are) then you are committing a crime even if you haven't pirated anything yet.
- drstrangevibes 16y agoabsolutely! if you look back you can see that geohot never intended to enable piracy on the platform
- eli 16y agoThe PS3 isn't a phone. The exemption doesn't apply.
- elliottcarlson 16y agoCorrect, the argument, and also the reason he should be supported, is that it should be. We bought it, we should do with it as we wish (as long as it's not causing financial loss due to piracy etc).
- eli 16y agoHey, I'm totally with you. But just because you don't like a law doesn't make it not a law. I think the DMCA is here to stay unless and until Congress fixes it.
- Tyrannosaurs 16y agoDoesn't apply yet because it's never been tested in court. The parallel is pretty strong so there's a good chance that the courts would extend it if they ever got as far as ruling on it.
- eli 16y agoI really hope the defense argument doesn't hinge on proving the PS3 is a cell phone.
- drstrangevibes 16y agoit is legal to jailbreak an iphone http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2010/07/feds-ok-iphone-jailbreaking/ http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2010/07/feds-ok-iphone-jail...