Copyright news you can use: You can tinker with your car s software, according to new Librarian of Congress exemptions to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.
Car companies aren t happy, but the exemption does have caveats. The tinkering can be for diagnosis, repairs and modifications but must hew to copyright rules, and excludes changes to telematics (GPS, etc.) and entertainment systems.
The move comes as more and more vehicles systems are controlled by software — and after news of car hacks, using software to circumvent emission standards and more. But groups such as the Electronic Frontier Foundation say the exemption for security research is a good thing.
Overall the ruling represents a victory for the public that will help independent security researchers evaluate automotive software, will promote competition in the vehicle aftermarket, and will support vehicle owners who wish to learn about or improve on their own cars, the EFF said in a post on its website.
Other opponents of the new exemption include the Department of Transportation and the Environmental Protection Agency, according to NPR. The exemption goes into effect next year.
The Librarian of Congress also issued other new exemptions to the DMCA, including for jailbreaking mobile devices, archiving video games and remixes from DVD and Blu-Ray.
Photo: Apple CarPlay in a Ferrari. The Librarian of Congress (EPA)
The post Pimp your ride: Ruling allows for tinkering with car software — up to a point appeared first on SiliconBeat.
