The DMCA just became my favorite law ever.

[Mod_Man_Extreme]

http://kotaku.com/5596568/new-dmca-rule ... e=true&s=i

Also this comment expressed my first few thoughts on the subject perfectly:

Our long national nightmare is over. Bring back the Dreamcast, and Arrested Development.

I'm really excited though, this means that companies like Sony can't block access to stuff like Other OS or restrict functionality artificially and moving your cell phone to another network or unlocking devices is no longer a gray area but completely legit within your consumer rights!

SUCK IT APPLE (Fuck. You. Steve Jobs, and SONY!

[jp1]

Can't believe this actually got passed. Customers rights were considered over that of a corporation, now that is a precedent.

[Jrecee]

Will this stop nintendo from bricking your wii if you have homebrew stuff on it?

[crux]

Nintendo doesn't brick your Wii in the first place - Nintendo (and Sony) just creates a layer of defense that can result in a failure, which during a flash overwrite can completely botch the OS of the system. They can continue to bolster that defense all they want. They just can't prosecute the people bypassing it. Microsoft, for instance, still has the right to forbid tampering with their system, and thus have the right to cancel the Live account of anyone that tries.

This is interesting. I want to say amazing, but has anyone ever been prosecuted for any of the above offenses? If not, it effectively doesn't change much of anything. Still, it sends a strong message - one that corporate entities can't pretend to make the laws. They can still modify their products to botch the efforts of jailbreaking, unlocking, and bypassing. So in that respect, not much will change.

[noiseredux]

does this mean that the Wii should stop blocking my Free Loader?

[CRTGAMER]

If I am reading this right the government can archive copies but the consumer can't?

Librarian of Congress James H. Billington today reveals new exceptions to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act that address the legality of jailbreaking your Apple products, unlocking your cell phone, and bypassing computer game digital rights management systems.

As part of his unending penance, every three years James H. Billington determines if there are any classes of work that require an exemption to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 2000's prohibition against bypassing copyright protection mechanisms. Based on recommendations from the Register of Copyrights, whom we rather like, Billington has issued six new exemptions that affect the way play with our digital media.

[lisalover1]

does this mean that the Wii should stop blocking my Free Loader?

No, they just can't sue you anymore for using it. I was reading this earlier today, and I did a little victory dance. Now it is legal to hack electronic devices, as long as you do not pirate software with it. I am very, VERY glad that this law got passed!

[Rurouni_Fencer]

I wonder if the US Airforce had anything to do with the persuasion of this ruling..

http://www.destructoid.com/us-air-force ... 3533.phtml

[lisalover1]

I wonder if the US Airforce had anything to do with the persuasion of this ruling..

http://www.destructoid.com/us-air-force ... 3533.phtml

I'm surprised that the USAF doesn't send over a few lawyers to support the case against Sony. Then things would get interesting.

[Hatta]

this means that companies like Sony can't block access to stuff like Other OS or restrict functionality artificially

Sure they can. It's just no longer illegal for you to reverse it. May still void your warranty, get you banned from their network, etc. This exemption protects you only from criminal prosecution under the DMCA, which is seldom done anyway. Nothing to see here really.

Also, there was already an exemption in the law for law enforcement and intelligence. So the USAF/PS3 thing wouldn't be affected by it.