US Copyright Office Rules Some Copy Protection can be Legally Bypassed

A new ruling from the US Library of Congress' Copyright Office states that users are legally allowed to bypass certain copy protections / DRM Schemes. This ruling specifically identifies programs dependent on obsolete hardware or those protected by dongles that have been broken, unlocking cellphones, and several education geared excepmtions. The rule cites examples from the Sony/BMG implementation of root kits. The Copyright office ruled in favor of unlocking cellphones and requiring cellphones to be usable across carriers, although it does not make locking cellphones illegal.

The purpose of the final rule "is to determine whether users of particular classes of copyrighted works are...adversely affected by the prohibition in their ability to make noninfringing uses of copyrighted works,” the Federal Register states.

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Cellphone Unlocking
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