A Federal Appeals Court in DC has tossed out the FCC’s “broadcast flag” rule which would have prevented all digital TVs (starting July 1) from recording or outputing unecrypted signals. On the EFF’s page about the decision, they say:
The court ruled, as we argued, that the FCC lacks the authority to regulate what happens inside your TV or computer once it has received a broadcast signal. The broadcast flag rule would have required all signal demodulators to “recognize and give effect to” a broadcast flag, forcing them not to record or output an unencrypted high-def digital signal if the flag were set. This technology mandate, set to take effect July 1, would have stopped the manufacture of open hardware that has enabled us to build our own digital television recorders.
This is great news!
[Thanks to Kate on the assist]