Earlier today, the Copyright Office of the Library of Congress released the results of its triennial review of applications for exemptions from the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). The ruling found that adding programs to the iPhone (called jailbreaking) is not a violation of copyright law. The decision is here.
The following statement is attributed to Sherwin Siy, deputy legal director of Public Knowledge:
“We are pleased that the Copyright Office will allow consumers the freedom to have more choice of applications for their iPhones. This type of decision is long overdue. We are also pleased that the Copyright Office granted exemptions to other categories of works, for example, granting new rights to documentary filmmakers and creators of noncommercial videos to circumvent copyright protections. It also allows the visually impaired to have better access to eBooks.
“At the same time, we continue to be disappointed that the Copyright Office under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act can grant extremely limited exemptions and only every three years. This state of affairs is an indication that the law needs to be changed.”
The following statement is attributed to Mario Ciabarra, chief technical officer of Rock Your Phone:
“The decision by the Copyright Office is a big win for consumers and applications developers. Consumers will have more choices of products. New markets will open up for developers and artists. The Copyright Office has given our community the legitimacy it deserves. Our apps are already on four million devices worldwide, with almost $2 million in sales. We expect our business and that of others in the field to grow as a result of today’s actions.”
Members of the media may contact Communications Director Shiva Stella with inquiries, interview requests, or to join the Public Knowledge press list at shiva@publicknowledge.org or 405-249-9435.