Apple Submits Patent with a Jailbroken IPhone

Apple, the creators of the iPod and iPhone, is a group of hypocrites. They have recently submitted a patent for their iPhone that contains applications only available through jailbreaking.

For those who do not know what jailbraking is, it's a way of installing custom firmware onto one's iPhone or iPod. This firmware allows the user to install and use applications that have not been approved by Apple and that do not appear in their App Store. Two of these applications that allow for installation of more "illegal" applications are Cydia and Installer. Some of these applications allow for the user to customize the theme of their device. The 2nd Generation iPod Touch's firmware has taken a longer time than usual to jailbrake because of its new hardware. However, in the past couple of months the iPhone dev team has been successful.

Apple has not supported jailbreaking in any way and in their contract with the purchaser it is stated that the warranty will become void if the device is changed in any way (cNet). I own the 2nd generation iPod Touch and it is jailbroken, but there is no way for Apple to cancel my warranty if they cannot detect that it is jailbroken. ITunes allows the user to system restore their iPod with almost no trace of the jailbreak.

The patent itself actually is just one picture with a popular theme and two applications commonly found on jailbroken iPhones illustrated. This is almost definitely not a mistake on Apple's part. They have been known for constant and thorough review of their patents, just like every other big company.

There are many speculations on the reasons for this patent submission. Some think it might be a joke, but I do not think Apple would be foolish enough to allow for one of its employees to play a joke on themselves and also all of the jailbreakers in the world. Another explanation is Apple's willingness to allow for jailbreaking in the future as long as the user consents Apple about the jailbreak. My own speculation points towards Apple just showing off the capabilities of its iPhone and how some creative customers are changing their devices to fit what they want. This has been what Apple's goal has been throughout its history.

Personally I do not see why Apple is against jailbreaking. The only reason would be because it allows for users to install cracked, or hacked, applications for free instead of paying Apple and the developer of the application on the App Store. This causes a schism in jailbreakers. Those who use the jailbreak for only applications not offered by Apple, which are developed independently, and those who only use the jailbreak to get applications for free. On a popular website for iPod Touch users (http://www.ipodtouchfans.com/) there is a strong consensus against the use of cracked applications. Those who promote or even mention them are banned from the forum. This shows the advantages of jailbreaking. It's not used in any really illegal way by those on this website. The host of the Cydia application is even starting to charge users for some applications and is taking the same 30% cut that Apple is taking from its own developers.

This situation is very similar to that of thepiratebay hosts and their own trial. Their website is used to host torrents for large files, but a lot of people are using the website as a way to host illegally shared games or Windows files. These two examples show how a great idea and effort that is legal in many peoples' eyes is being used for illegal operations.

As for the future of Apple. I think they'll be alright. People will continue to jailbreak, and Apple will most likely continue to void their contracts as long as those customers violate their contracts.

http://www.engadget.com/2009/03/28/apple-uses-a-jailbroken-iphone-in-patent-application/#comments
http://news.cnet.com/apple-iphone-jailbreaking-violates-our-copyright/