Verdict: Jailbreaking is allowed
Gaining root access is the first challenge programmers are getting their head at when a new smartphone is launched. A judge in the United States now took a verdict about these practices. His conclusion: jailbreaking is allowed.
The case was brought to the judge by The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), a civil rights organisation that wants Apple to to allow installing application that aren't available in the AppStore.
Jailbreaking allowed
To be able to install applications on the iPhone yourselves, you'll have to jailbreak the device. To do so, you should apply a hack to gain permission to install software. Apple says such actions are prohibited by copyright laws.
The verdict makes that it is now legal in the US to use Cydia, a popular community alternative to the AppStore.
Not only Apple
Although the EFF sued Apple, the verdict is not specially aimed at the Cupertino-based company. The words of the jugde can be applied to other platforms as well, most notably on Android.
Struggle for digital civil right
EFF has been fighting for civil rights on the internet. The organisation fight the defenders of the strict patent and copyright laws in the US. The organisation also won a case against the movie industry, when a verdict said that it is allowed to use parts of a DVD in a Youtube video, as long as it is non-commercial and the clip is necessary for the statement of the video.
