The U.S. Copyright Office says it’s okay to jailbreak your iPhone. Well, more or less.

Well, there’s more to it than that, but in the tech world that’s the biggest issue that comes up when you start throwing around terms like ‘Digital Millennium  Copyright Act’ or DMCA as it’s better known. You know, that’s the law that says you can pirate CDs, DVDs, etc. Oh, and you’re not supposed to break into your iPhone and install un-approved software. Until today, that is. The U.S. Copyright Office has issued a new set of exemptions to the DMCA, which are officially announced on their website. Here’s the pertinent paragraphs for your review:

The Librarian of Congress has announced the classes of works subject to the exemption from the prohibition against circumvention of technological measures that control access to copyrighted works. Persons making noninfringing uses of the following six classes of works will not be subject to the prohibition against circumventing access controls (17 U.S.C. § 1201(a)(1)) until the conclusion of the next rulemaking…

Computer programs that enable wireless telephone handsets to execute software applications, where circumvention is accomplished for the sole purpose of enabling interoperability of such applications, when they have been lawfully obtained, with computer programs on the telephone handset….

Computer programs, in the form of firmware or software, that enable used wireless telephone handsets to connect to a wireless telecommunications network, when circumvention is initiated by the owner of the copy of the computer program solely in order to connect to a wireless telecommunications network and access to the network is authorized by the operator of the network.

Well, there you have it folks, straight from the horse’s mouth, so-to-speak. Now don’t go out and decide to crack your iPhone’s OS just yet. Why? Well, for one thing, it could still invalidate your contract with AT&T. Secondly, unless you know what you’re doing, you could really screw up your phone. Finally, if you think this is over, you’ve got another thing coming. I can guarantee one thing about these new exemptions: they will be challenged by big business in court. You can count on that.