Over the last 48 hours, Roku has slowly been rolling out a mandatory update to its terms of service. In this terms it changes the dispute resolution terms but it is not clear exactly why. When the new terms and conditions message shows up on a Roku Player or TV, your only option is to […]

  • grue@lemmy.world
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    8 months ago

    The EULA is for the OS, not the physical hardware.

    That’s pure sophistry*, because…

    Unless you flash a new OS to your TV you’re stuck using their software and following the rules of that software.

    …they don’t let you do that either!

    When the hardware is DRM’d to only allow the use of an OS cryptographically signed by the manufacturer, denying the user use of the OS due to a poison-pill EULA is absolutely equivalent to denying them use of the hardware.

    Hmmm… Maybe legally all devices must be flashable easily without removing or modifying physical bits of the device? That way if an OS Update goes a way you don’t like then you can flash an old version or DIFFERENT OS entirely onto the device you own, regardless of if it’s a TV, phone, microwave, whatever

    Exactly: the DMCA needs to be repealed and it needs to become illegal to DRM the device to prevent the user from loading a third-party OS on it.

    (* on the part of the shysters trying to push that argument, not you explaining their position)