Major Company Enters Jailbreak Community

Ever since the United States Library of Congress confirmed that jailbreaking was completely legal, many rejoiced at this ruling, calling it a new era of jailbreaking. But up until now, we have not seen any of the direct effects of this ruling on jailbreaking. Apple still refuses to allow users to jailbreak and patches any system vulnerabilities with OS updates.

Now, the first large corporation has entered the jailbreaking community.Toyota has released a theme under their Scion brand into Cydia under the ModMyi repository. The theme utilizes the full extent of the jailbreaking app Winterboard with custom icons, carrier logo, wallpapers, and sliders.

With an estimated number of 10-15 million users with a jailbroken iPod, iPhone, or iPad, other companies may submit themes into Cydia to advertise their product. This means that Apple may have to eventually recognize the significance of the open source iOS device. This also could mean that other companies that create products that are high in demand (like Adobe Flash) may come to Cydia to distribute their apps because Apple does not allow them into the App Store.

Either way, it seems like it is a win-win situation for the jailbreakers and the companies making themes. The future looks bright for all those who jailbreak.

US Library of Congress Officially Legalizes Jailbreak

The United States Library of Congress has added anti-circumvention exceptions to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act that now states that jailbreaking is not a violation of copyright law - Apple's main argument against jailbreaking.

Some of the cost compelling quotes from the 250-page recommendation:

Ultimately, Apple’s position with respect to harm to the market for and value of its firmware boils down to Apple’s conclusion that “the value of the iPhone, and hence the software embedded in it, is substantially diminished when the integrity and functionality of that software is compromised by jailbreaking, when Apple is left to deal with the problems that ensue, and when the positive feedback loops enabled by the App Store and the iPhone Developer Program are compromised.”

Apple’s objections to the installation and use of “unapproved” applications appears to have nothing to do with its interests as the owner of copyrights in the computer programs embodied in the iPhone, and running the unapproved applications has no adverse effect on those interests. Rather, its objections relate to its interests as a manufacturer and distributor of a device, the iPhone.

The recommendation does not only apply to Apple devices. Android powered phones, like the Driod and HTC phones, can also be jailbroken (A.K.A. rooted).

Though this does not mean that Apple will stop jailbreakers by issuing updates for holes in software.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation, the largest group fighting for a "free" electronic world, estimates that there are about 1 million jailbroken iDevices. This number will likely only continue to increase because of this recommendation.