ArsTechnica: Cell phone unlocking legal (for three years)
ArsTechnica: Cell phone unlocking legal (for three years)
Every three years, the Copyright Office develops a list of approved exemptions to the DMCA’s anti-circumvention protections. This is the third time through the process, and the government has approved the largest number of exemptions to date—though they’re still incredibly narrow.
Exemptions are allowed for 1) the educational library of a university’s media studies department, in order to watch film clips in class; 2) using computer software that requires the original disks or hardware in order to run; 3) dongle-protected computer programs, if the the dongle no longer functions and a replacement cannot be found; 4) protected e-books, in order to use screen-reader software; 5) cell phone firmware that ties a phone to a specific wireless network; and 6) DRM software included on audio CDs, but only when such software creates security vulnerabilities on personal computers.