What the 2010 DCMA Exemptions Mean to You

September 17, 2010 9:08 AM

What the 2010 DCMA Exemptions Mean to You : "Good news for prudent (or paranoid) consumers who have hesitated to jailbreak an iPhone for fear that a SWAT team might break down their doors in the middle of the night." The most significant is that you are "off the hook" (Copyright/DCMA-wise) for jailbreaking your iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, Android Phone, etc.*

* Some restrictions apply.

The exemptions are as follows:

• DVD Circumvention: The new law allows users to circumvent the DRM on DVDs, specifically the Content Scrambling System, often known as CSS, in order to obtain short clips of the film for education use, documentary filmmaking and non-commercial clips. Discussion
• Jailbreaking to Install Applications: The new rules allow the “jailbreaking” of “wireless telephone handsets” to download and run unauthorized apps that are legally obtained. A good example is jailbreaking an iPhone to install apps not available in the App Store. Discussion
• Jailbreaking to Change Mobile Carriers: The new rules also allow for jailbreaking phones to switch them to a new carrier, for example, allowing iPhone customers to switch to Tmobile. Discussion: 1, 2
• Security Testing/Flaw Correction in Video Games: Users can now break encryption and copy protection on installed video games for the purpose of investigating and correcting security issues.
• Computer Programs Protected by Dongles: If a legally-owned computer program is protected by a dongle (USB key or other hardware attachment) and the dongle is broken and can not be replaced.
• Read-aloud Ebooks: Finally, if an ebook publisher has blocked access to the read-aloud functionality of an ebook reader and blocked access to screen readers, circumventing those locks is acceptable for the purpose of having such books read aloud. This most directly impacts the visually impaired.

posted by spock (10 comments total)

DMCA != DCMA
posted by Robin Kestrel at 9:14 AM on September 17, 2010

It's the DMCA, not the DCMA (although you're not the first poster to make that mistake). Anyway, this was covered back in July.
posted by jedicus at 9:14 AM on September 17, 2010

Is it Celebrate July 27th Day Already? Let me get my sparklers.
posted by SPUTNIK at 9:16 AM on September 17, 2010

From the linked article:

Though Apple (and other phone manufacturers) had the right to file suit over jailbreaking, Apple hasn’t so even as an estimate 400,000 user used jailbreaking software on their iPhones.

I can't understand that sentence, but it's really interesting in how it is mangled. Something about apple showing restraint by not filing lawsuits and a corresponding movement of iphone users to unlock their phones?
posted by kuatto at 9:18 AM on September 17, 2010

Also, blink tag on the front page? No sir, I don't like it.
posted by jedicus at 9:19 AM on September 17, 2010

Dyselxics of the world UNTIE!
posted by spock at 9:22 AM on September 17, 2010

>DMCA != DCMA

This would also explain why my search failed to find the discussion previously on MeFi.

My apologies to the MeFi bretheren and sistern.
posted by spock at 9:23 AM on September 17, 2010

Also: I LIKE PIE!
:)
posted by spock at 9:24 AM on September 17, 2010

Somehow I always read it as DCMA. No idea why.

Anyway, this a dupe.
posted by delmoi at 9:24 AM on September 17, 2010

My apologies to the MeFi bretheren and sistern.

No big deal. There are some interesting discussion links here that I don't think made it to the original thread, just maybe not quite enough for an FPP.
posted by jedicus at 9:25 AM on September 17, 2010