Have I never pirated? No … I’ll admit that I’ve done it, but usually because there isn’t a demo available and I need to try something before buying, BUT … any app that I actually use, I pay for. It’s only right. I don’t want to do my job for free, why should the developers that make the apps I use not get paid?

“the iPhone’s code copyright laws.” ??? The iPhone is NOT a jurisdiction. It’s a device.

The exemption by the copyright office is strictly limited to the USA. In other jurisdictions it is of NO legal significance whatsoever. There are other jurisdictions, with other exemptions to (c), or where copyright laws don’t even exist. There you can do whatever you want.

“So, yes you can unlock your iPhone to work on another network. Jailbreaking it to download additional software ( games, movies, icons, music, ect ) via the open interface would be definitely be illegal.” <– you’re confusing unlocking with jailbreaking here.
Moreover, when (c) is used not to protect the (c) software itself, but to leverage market power into different markets – like apps, movies, icons, music – that is a misuse / abuse of copyright under US law. Which implies that the right can not be enforced (aka the “dirty hands doctrine”). Which implies, in turn, that you can do whatever you want, since you’re NOT breaking an ENFORCABLE copyright.

“This doesn’t mean that apple or AT&T can’t sue you for something else.” <– what a stupid argument. Being able to sue is NOT the same as having more than a snowball in hell’s chance of winning the lawsuit. And backfires as frivolous lawsuit, for which the responsible attorney can be disbarred. Smart move, sucker.

“PS Unlocking an iPhone and selling it on eBay IS most likely against the law. As it is not for “sole purpose of using another carrier”, it is for the purpose of making money via an unlocked iPhone.” <– oh how simplistic. If YOU infringe on a copyright for the sole purpose of unlocking it, and at a later point intend to make money by reselling it, that would not mean the unlocking suddenly becomes illegal retroactively. Moreover, you can have someone else sell it. The person selling it would not have anything to do with whatever intent the person had who unlocked it.

I challenge you to find ONE valid legal argument why the latest PwnageTool breaks any intellectual property right. Afaik, at best Steve Jobs could sue the makers for using his portrait. Which has no base in intellectual property rights, but personality / privacy rights.

I’ll stop here. After having a laugh for a bit, I’m now getting a little sick of the ignorance of some comments here.

Whoever leaked it hasn’t come forward for obvious reasons, and it looks as if the process of running this app cannot be repeated with others, due to all apps from the App Store being digitally signed and this leaked one isn’t.

I understand the reason for cracked apps, the prices for all of the apps can really add up into a huge total. But instead of jailbreaking and installing cracked apps, i have found another, and legal way, to get apps for free. If you are friends w/ someone who also has an iphone and has bought apps that u dont have, you can enter their itunes accounct name and password into your itunes at home, and then sync your iphone so that their account is now on your phone. You can now get the apps that they have already purchased completely for free. I have been doing this with several friends that I trust with my account, and each of us has been buying several apps and then sharing them. It has worked out very well so far.