In the past I've written about "unlocked" cell phones: Handsets that are bought free of restrictions from carriers that require you to use them on their network only. Unlocked phones do a brisk business on eBay, but they can be expensive and, when you think about it, unnecessary: You already have a cell phone. Wouldn't it be nice if you could switch to another carrier with it? Reasonably priced unlocking services also exist, but these have a fatal flaw in the United States: Technically they're illegal, thanks to the DMCA.

Well, over the holiday, the U.S. Copyright Office finally wised up to what the rest of the world has long since allowed: Unlocking your cell phone is now legal, thanks to one of six exemptions to the DMCA that were just created. (Other exemptions are less interesting: College libraries can make audio-video compilations now, circumventing DVD encryption; old software that required a dongle can now be hacked; and audio CDs with malware on them—remember the Sony rootkit?—can now be ripped.)

One moderately interesting exemption is that old computer programs that are no longer in production (often known as "abandonware") can now be copied and archived. I don't fully speak legalese, but it looks like this has suddenly legalized ROM downloads for the incredibly cool arcade game emulator MAME, which lets you play Space Invaders, Galaga, and just about any other video game ever made...though I guess if the games are still being produced (which is open to debate), those ROMs would not be exempted.

Still, it's a step in the right direction for the overbearing DMCA.