Our root rights are in danger!!!

[dljdx]

EDIT:Changed entire post and updated with more information.

OUR ROOTING RIGHTS ARE IN DANGER

A disturbing trend over the last ten years is for phones (and other devices) to be provided to the purchaser in a locked-down manner such that a user effectively loses control over their device. Instead of being able to learn, use, modify, tweak, optimize, or search out 3rd party competition for consumables on such devices, the user is held captive and forced to use software (sometimes referred to, colloquially, as bloatware) and even if the user chooses not to use the software (e.g. Amazon MP3, Blockbuster, Google Maps, Facebook, CIQ... etc.) that bloatware remains on the device, sometimes eating up processor cycles, consuming memory, draining battery, engaging the radio interfaces, slowing down the user's chosen tasks, occupying storage space, slowing down initial start-up, and potentially providing a greater surface area of attack - degrading the security of the device. These, among others, are reasons why we all root our device. Furthermore, there are many important non-infringing uses and markets that are only realized by rooting a device. The rooting of our devices serves the Framer's Article 1, Section 8, Clause 8 Constitutional mandate of furthering the sciences and arts in that modification, tweaking, white-hat tinkering or hacking (much like modifying an engine in a car) produces technical expertise and knowledge, is supportive of consumer protection, open and fierce competition and clearly furthers the arts available gratis for public consumption.

So the problem that now arises is as follows:

Essentially, the DMCA (Digital Millennium Copyright Act) made it illegal to circumvent protection measures to get at copyrighted content. Some people construe this broadly to include the rooting of phones. Three years ago, the EFF fought for and secured an exemption for us from the DMCA in rooting phones. At the time there was a very benevolent leader of the Copyright office - Marybeth Peters. She is now gone - and they have a new leader, who is re-assessing the rooting exemption from the DCMA that we secured in 2009. It is important to note that without this exemption, rooting and jail-breaking revert to illegal bypassing of DRM-type technologies (this means it will be a felony (IIRC) to obtain root on your device). There is a very real threat that the exemption will expire and not be renewed even though the EFF is fighting for us. THIS IS UNCONSTITUTIONAL AND WE CANNOT STAND FOR THIS!!! The Copyright office as a matter of law must accept and publish all comments. So if you could, please take a moment, click the link below and let the the Copyright office know how you feel about this. As the 1% of owners who root, engineer, tinker, develop and code, please make your voice heard.

Reply Comment Submission Form

[Droid-X-Forums]

[dljdx]

Edited all info in post... 'Bump'

[TristanCross]

Unconstitutional for a company not wanting you to screw up the phones they make with low grade operating systems? I really don't understand the point in rooting and using custom OS's. And to make it a political issue is just plain stupid. Sorry, but everything is not a political issue.

Sent from my DROIDX

[droidx2.3.3]

Unconstitutional for a company not wanting you to screw up the phones they make with low grade operating systems? I really don't understand the point in rooting and using custom OS's. And to make it a political issue is just plain stupid. Sorry, but everything is not a political issue.

Sent from my DROIDX

Are you saying that the stock roms are "low quality"? Or the custom roms are no good? Because almost 100% of the time custom roms are better than stock by far.

Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using Droid X Forums

[dljdx]

Unconstitutional for a company not wanting you to screw up the phones they make with low grade operating systems? I really don't understand the point in rooting and using custom OS's. And to make it a political issue is just plain stupid. Sorry, but everything is not a political issue.

Sent from my DROIDX

So you are saying that just because you don't know how, or why, or just don't want to, that the ones of us who can and want to shouldn't be legally allowed to? Thats bogus! And for the record, I didn't make it a political issue, someone else did, I just feel that we (with the obvious exception of you) need to make our voices heard about this. I understand that there are those out there, who, if given the oppourtunity with an unlocked phone, would completely screw it up. They have these systems in place so when you go to the dealer for help they actually know what to do and how/where to do it. But with that being said, I purchased my phone with my hard earned money. If I want to root, hack, rom, develop, or in any other form modify MY equipment, it would be wrong for them to tell me I am not legally allowed to do so. If I screw it up, so be it. I know that I have voided my warranty and they won't help. That is why we have this wonderful forum full of smart, kind, and helpful people. Think about it...

[Talon66721]

Unconstitutional for a company not wanting you to screw up the phones they make with low grade operating systems? I really don't understand the point in rooting and using custom OS's. And to make it a political issue is just plain stupid. Sorry, but everything is not a political issue.

Sent from my DROIDX

Are you telling me that you're ok with being told what you can or cannot do with your property? Really? Are you still running Windows '98 or whatever the Mac equivalent is? Do you put new tires on your vehicle when needed? Not that much different really. Does your ISP tell you what you can do with your computer? If they did, would you put up with it? Some of us are willing to stand up for the rights that are trying to be taken away. And as for the 'low grade roms' comment, obviously you've never tried anything but stock. Every rom I've run, which is most of them, has been an amazing improvement over stock.

[nemesisdxer]

^ I like this guy and dljdx Couldn't say it any better.

Sent from my DROIDX using Xparent Cyan Tapatalk

[Talon66721]

^ I like this guy and dljdx Couldn't say it any better.

Sent from my DROIDX using Xparent Cyan Tapatalk

Thank you!!! Glad to know there are some of us out there that think the same way!

[Smittys]

Exactly. This world is messed up. If it was a felony to root and ROM my phone to get rid of that horse crap stock MOTOBLUR and be unique in my style and.make my phone look th way I want it to...well I guess I would be a hardened criminal.

Sent from my DX Vortex Dark Theme

[dljdx]

Nemesis- thank you.
Smittys- exactly. I don't want my phone to have to wear a 'bland' Catholic school uniform...

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