There’s always a catch. Last week, The Library of Congress and the U.S. Copyright Office adopted exemptions to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act that would make it legal for consumers or their conscripted repair experts to hack the embedded software on personal devices for maintenance or repair purposes—you know, if they’re up to the challenge.

Making it permissible to hack smartphones, smart appliances or a car isn’t exactly the same thing as making it easier. As digital rights management technology that restricts the use of proprietary hardware­ becomes increasingly sophisticated, this latest development in copyright law may amount to little more than a distinction without a difference.

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