Quick Quote: @EFF convinces Copyright Office to OK jailbreaking, mashups, more -- via BoingBoing by @doctorow [Law]
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EFF had applied to the Copyright Office to grant exemptions permitting the cracking of DRM in three cases: first, to "jailbreak" a mobile device, such as an iPhone, where DRM is used to prevent phone owners from running software of their own choosing; second, to allow video remix artists to break the DRM on DVDs in order to take short excerpts for mashups posted to YouTube and other sharing sites; finally EFF got the Copyright Office to renew its ruling that made it illegal to unlock cellphones so that they can be used with any carrier.
via boingboing.net
I haven't read the EFF press release Doctorow is writing about here, but a cursory read of his article indicates that this development should water down that pirate flavoring attendant upon activities like jailbreaking phones and ripping video from DVDs for limited use in derivative works.
Unfortunately, Doctorow also mentions that the odd US logic seemingly retracted by these moves by the Copyright Office is still being supported in US influence on foreign copyright policy. Read his article at Boing Boing for more on that.
Via: Boing Boing
Source: EFF
