Is "Jailbreaking" a Smartphone Legal?

I thought this was interesting. LegalZoom has written an article detailing the current legalities of “jail breaking" your phone.

Smartphone manufacturers haven't filed any lawsuits against individuals who have hacked their phones or against those who develop the third-party applications, but some cell phone carriers have threatened legal action against consumers who jailbreak their phones, possibly alleging breach of contractual provisions because of the use of certain applications.

That said, the process of jailbreaking your own smartphone doesn't appear to be illegal in and of itself as you do own the phone and its software under the licensing agreement. The EFF, though, wants the law made clear that there is no copyright violation involved, so it is turning to the US Copyright Office for help.

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