DMCA exemption on rooting will expire soon, EFF requests action
Although there are many gadget users know what rooting and jailbreaking are, only a few are likely aware of the legal implications of the act. Up until 2010, unlocking your device in any way was technically a violation of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, or DMCA, and could carry stiff penalties if you were convicted. Fortunately, in 2010 an exemption to the law was added that made unlocking the devices that you own completely legal.
However, that exemption is set to expire in the near future, which would mean that rooting would go back to being a crime. Even though I'm sure users don't want to commit crimes, the ability freely to modify the devices you own at your own discretion certainly seems like a right that you should have.
The Electronic Frontier Foundation feels the same way, and has set up a page where users can comment on the situation directly through the Copyright office. In addition to asking that the exemption be renewed, the EFF is also hoping to get things like tablets and game consoles explicitly included in the ruling.
As I'm sure you all want to keep your right to use the devices you own, I urge you to follow the source link to the EFF's page and do your part to make sure rooting stays as legal as it should be.
[EFF via Good and Evo]
