U.S. Copyright Office strikes again: No more jailbreak for iPads, no more unlock for new iPhones
According to Wikipedia, the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) is a US copyright law that implements two 1996 treaties of the Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). Since October 2012 DMCA has introduced new rulings, which will be in force for the next three years, regarding what the consumers can do with their electronic devices. So a consumer is no longer able to jailbreak any iPad version he owns, from the 1st to the 4th, and also the iPad Mini.
How can they do that? Actually this DMCA decision is targeting all developers of jailbreaking software and hackers that live in USA. So they can not release anymore jailbreak apps for iPads to the US citizens. DMCA has also striked again, by announcing that unlocking a phone without the carrier’s permission is illegal, if the smartphone is purchased after January 2013. Which means they will require you to get the carrier’s approval in order to unlock it. By purchasing a new device, the user automatically signs the End User Agreement and no longer has the right to do whatever he wants with it.
However you’ll be able to unlock any phones purchased before January 2013. So enjoiyng the unlocking advantages, such as using any SIM card from any carrier you want, will be still possible in USA for the end consumer if he owns a device bought before this date.
Why is this happening? Well, there are 2 main reasons. One of them is that in 2010 a new ruling came out claiming that if you purchase a software, you just use it and you don’t actually own it. Also, an increasing number of unlocked iDevices on the US market and wireless carriers that have liberal policies for unlocking their handsets has determined the Librarian of Congress (the agency in charge of the new ruling) to come out with the new law.
Find out more at www.unlock-jailbreak-iphone.com
