Apple Wants To Make Jailbreaking Worthy Of Jail Time, $2500 Fine

http://consumerist.com/5153597/apple-wants-to-make-jailbreaking-worthy-of-jail-time-2500-fine

by vaksel • 17 years ago

20 29 17 years ago

ObieJazz• 17 years ago

Apple seems to be getting eviler by the day. It's the same kind of attitude they're taking with Palm and the Pre—threatening legal action to scare people away from doing things they really ought to have a right to do. I guess that's what happens when you're at the top of a market.

beingfamous• 17 years ago

All of this news of Apple becoming the next evil corporation really pushes me away from buying a Macbook for college in the fall. However, it makes a Product (red) Dell with Ubuntu look even better...

unalone8• 17 years ago

Look, don't buy a computer based on what you think of the company. If you're serious about getting stuff done with your computer, get the best damn computer you can, regardless of company reputation, regardless of what other people think about it.

If you think that you can live with Ubuntu, with all its problems, then get Ubuntu - but get it because it's cheaper, because it's more tinkerable. Don't get it because of Apple's dickery. Of course Apple is a dick. They insist on having complete control over your user experience. As an Apple user, I will attest that I love it. Some people get a kick out of supermodding their computer. My cofounder loves Linux for that very reason. I like Apple because they do everything for me without thinking.

I think this case is over-the-top, but I don't necessarily disagree with Apple's reasoning. If I made a product that had a built-in application system designed to my specifications, I'm not sure if I wouldn't be pissed off at the people who wanted to get around that either. Jail time seems a bit over-the-top, but if it's in Apple's contract that by buying their product you agree not to mess with it, and I'm fairly certain that's been the deal since the iPhone came out, then you might not like that, but if you don't like it, you don't buy the thing with intent to break the law. You get a different phone, one that lets you modify and tinker with things. If you get caught, then you'd better have known that there was a chance of it happening from day one. It's risktaking: always has been, always will be.

People get into a bunch of arguments about evil and not-evil. It's not about evil. It's about intent. Apple's intent has always been to control every aspect of their product. They insist on controlling hardware - so you can't get OS X on another company's computer. They insist on controlling software - so you can't free up your iPhone. Some people disagree with that, but it's their prerogative as a company, and it's let Apple consistently create the best products in their respective markets with little debate. If that's evil, then I guess I'm evil, because I think they have the right and I wish more companies were that restrictive.

So think about that when you get your computer. Don't worry about all this bullshit arguing either way. Think about the computer itself.

mattmaroon• 17 years ago

They're not changing at all, you're just noticing it more now that they have something they feel they need to protect.

GHFigs• 17 years ago

> Apple seems to be getting eviler by the day.

I contend that sloppy reporting is a factor.

In this case, the headline is grossly misleading, as it implies Apple has moved for a change, and done something "evil". The truth is that they have only objected to arguments by the EFF that jailbreaking ought to be granted an exception to the DMCA. The fact is that jailbreaking (which involves bypassing protections of a copyrighted work) is already subject to fines and jail time under the DMCA.

Now, one could argue that Apple's opposition to the change implies that they want fines and jail time for jailbreaking, but that doesn't reflect the content of Apple's objection (http://www.copyright.gov/1201/2008/responses/apple-inc-31.pd...).

DenisM2• 17 years ago

Linkbait.

Apple wants to retain status quo (which is "may or may not be illegal under DMCA but not decided by court") whereas EFF wants an explicit temporary DMCA exemption.

jacquesm• 17 years ago

It's simple: Don't buy an iphone, buy some other phone that does not require jailbreaking and let them stew. If enough people do it then they'll get the message and change their game.

jgfoot• 17 years ago

Yes; I think Mark Pilgrim said it best: "I don’t understand this continuing obsession with buying things that you need to break before they do what you want." http://diveintomark.org/archives/2007/10/04/if-wishes-were-i...

pg• 17 years ago

Has Apple explicitly asked to make jailbreaking an iPhone a criminal offense?

quantumhobbit• 17 years ago

No. They are just using the anti-circumvention rule from the DMCA. Jail-breaking an iPhone is no more illegal than ripping a DVD. Jail time comes into play if you break copyright fro profit.

jrp• 17 years ago

I think for some of those things, it is legal to do yourself, but not legal to provide a program which does it -- so basically nobody will know enough to do it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_Millennium_Copyright_Ac...

http://lists.mplayerhq.hu/pipermail/mplayer-users/2003-March...

Can someone comment on this?

bk2• 17 years ago

Microsoft: concrete prison cell with a wooden stool with splinters for you to sit on.

Apple: glass and steel prison cell with an Aeron chair for you to sit on.

jrockway5• 17 years ago

Bad example. It's very easy to install (and write) software on Windows Mobile phones. Up until a few years ago (with the advent of OpenMoko and Android), Windows Mobile was the most open mobile phone platform.

bk2• 17 years ago

I should have been more clear. My point was intended to be more general than just mobile apps.

Both MS and Apple have business strategies and practices that strive for lock-in and monopolization, which is their prerogative, but it clearly deprives their users of many freedoms to use their hardware/software.

Apple makes it look and feel more comfortable, but it's fundamentally the same philosophy. Differences between the two originate from Apple primarily selling hardware and MS software.

Apple Wants To Make Jailbreaking Worthy Of Jail Time, $2500 Fine

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