Hello, I have had this idea for an online business for a long time but have always questioned its legality. I enjoy/am skilled at modifying electronic devices via software to do things they normally couldn't do. I have thought about offering this as a service where people would send me their device, I'd modify it, and then send it back. So from there I have a twofold question. Is this illegal according to the manufacturer of the electronic device? Is changing the programming against the rules? Also, if the software I put on these devices is released under the GNU - General Public License, is it illegal to sell the service of installing the software onto the device? Thanks in advance!
you would have to check the end user license agreement of the hardware/software you wish to manipulate. It is hard to say this is legal/illigal as a whole so the best option is to check the licensing agreements for use in hardware and software for specific product(s). Also, contacting the vendors of the product may help. If you could give me a product and an example it might help me more in giving you a direct answer
Okay, I thought it might be similar for all electronics but I guess not. One thing people like to do is put home brew (user made firmware basically) on their Sony PSP's to do new things with it. Would it be illegal to start a service of installing this for the user then sending it back?
xbox mod chips and 3rd party applications do it all the time w/ xbox's and ps2's. Whether or not you are reselling the device as your own, or a service would render it legit or illegal. Another thing you should take into consideration is; if you modify a device and say 2 weeks down the road the owner spills coffee on it and takes it in for a service work under their warrenty, the store may void their warrenty due to 3rd party work on the device, write an undertaking of limited liability agreement for your customers to sign.
Ya i totally agree with zebulon, you CAN modify the eletronic device they sent to you, BUT you MUST let the user know that it is with THEIR own risk, you can Guarantee that they'll get what they paid for, but you can' guarantee that their device's waranty will still be applicable after the MOD~
Okay, thanks a lot guys. That answers the brunt of my questions. It is legal as long as I'm selling the SERVICE and don't guarantee their warranty will still be intact post-modification?