EFF seeking petition to keep jailbreaking legal

The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) is lobbying users to sign a petition in its quest to convince the US government that jailbreaking smartphones and tablets is legal. Back in mid-2010, the Library of Congress ruled that the act is legal, provided it doesn't violate copyright laws. That ruling will soon expire, some believe, and doesn't cover tablets; the EFF is concerned that both need to be address.

Many developers supporting the efforts are those who depend on income from apps that aren't always necessarily available through Apple's App Store or the Android Market and instead go through jailbreak-only stores like Cydia. The argument for jailbreaking a device is that a user paid a significant amount of money for hardware and shouldn't be tied to a certain carrier or app store in the name of fair use.

Apple's response to the government decision back in 2010 was simply that it would void the warranty of a jailbroken or unlocked device and that the devices may not work reliably.

While most believe the 2010 ruling was permanent, others say this isn't the case, including iOS developer Charlie Miller, as evidenced by his recent Twitter post. The EFF will collect signatures and comments regarding the matter until February 10. [via RedmondPie]

By Electronista Staff

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iPhone, industry, gadgets, Google, hacks, Android, mobile phones, Apple, Cydia, Android Market, Electronic Frontier Foundation, EFF