Jailbreaking now legal [Archive] - Professional Soldiers ®

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Draco771

08-16-2010, 20:56

Jailbreaking — the practice of unlocking a phone (and particularly an iPhone) so it can be used on another network and/or run other applications than those approved by Apple — has technically been illegal for years. Most jailbroken phones are used on the U.S. T-Mobile network or on overseas carriers, or are used to run applications that Apple refuses to sell, such as Safari ad-blocking apps, alternate keyboard layouts, or programs that change the interface to the iPhone's SMS system and the way its icons are laid out.

While technically illegal, no one has been sued or prosecuted for the practice. (Apple does seriously frown on the practice, and jailbreaking your phone will still void your warranty.) It’s estimated that more than a million iPhone owners have jailbroken their handsets.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ytech_wguy/ytech_wguy_tc3236

:lifter:D

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100726/ap_on_hi_te/us_tec_digital_copyright

SF18C

08-17-2010, 01:03

Funny thing about those Apple folks, I live in Italy and my family has a total of 3 iPhone (3Gs) and when you buy one in Europe the phone is sold unlocked!

I bet Apple doesn’t frown on jail braking as much as ATT!

Dominus_Potior

08-17-2010, 03:36

Irishsquid

08-17-2010, 04:01

Heh...I never realized it was illegal. I was charging people $30.00 to jailbreak their iPhones for them quite a while back. Oops. I wonder if it was also illegal to "root," an Android phone? I can't see how it would be, though, given the whole open-source concept, but who knows?

Edit: on doing a [I]quick[I] bit of research, this is a bit sensationalist. Jailbreaking was never illegal. Really a gray area. Not expressly prohibited or permitted. Some courts might have chosen to file charges, but they'd be easily beaten. Jailbreaking is not done for the purpose of breaking/violating any copyright. It's not like buying computer software, which comes with a license agreement. (In computer software, you don't buy the software...you buy the license to use the software, within the bounds set forth in the license agreement.) Cell phones have a service agreement, through your provider, but that has nothing to do with the phone...just the service.

JJ_BPK

08-17-2010, 04:11

I don't apple,,

But over the last 20 years I have had several phones all except one from BellSouth/ATT.

Each time I go to the UK I have taken the phone in and said "pls unlock" so I can use my Orange SIM card and they do it without any hassle.. At least one, I had the tech do the day we got the phone.

So instead of paying ATT's rates ($$$$ USD @ min),, I prepay my Orange account and get .10 @ minute..

The last trip we elected to add a World plan to our Version phone. We needed it for the UK and Italy. Worked out to 1.50 @ min. The only person we called was my Mom. But even this was 200 USD for 3 weeks of access..

The cell phone companies are ripping off the WORLD with their "special" plans for international calling, data, text, web access, & all their other little billing gimmicks...

Anyway,, jail-breaking (unlocking) a phone has never been a problem to us..

DJ Urbanovsky

08-17-2010, 10:29

I don't know why anyone would buy a phone from a company that would send a SWAT team to journalist's house over a prototype cell phone that he'd already given back to them... But that's just me.

Draco771

08-17-2010, 12:25

HEY! That SWAT TEAM was reacquiring classified technology!!!

You know better than that!

:D:munchin:munchin

Were you around when Apple did that massive outburst about the prototype being left in a bar? When I was at Job Corps, they dedicated almost 15 minutes of a 30 min newscast on how IPOD was fighting to get a prototype IPOD an Engineer accidentally left in a bar.

In todays America, "National Security" is based on the latest marketing gadget.

IrishSquid, I used to do similiar. It's just now the grey area is no longer a "grey area"

Kinda like "Ethical Hacking"