Q: is it legal to restore iphone using ipsw

Apparently this is equivalent to jailbreaking your iPhone.

http://news.softpedia.com/news/Download-iPhone-iPod-IPSW-Manually-Restore-via-iT unes-How-to-136037.shtml

Unauthorized modification of iOS can cause security vulnerabilities, instability, shortened battery life, and other issues

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3743

If you jailbreak your iPad:

1. Your Apple warranty is canceled.

2. We can't help you in these forums.

3. Apple Support and the Genius Bar won't help you.

4. You can get a virus and malware.

5. You may "brick your iPad and have an $$$ paperweight.

What is Jailbreaking iOS? Should I do it?

https://sites.google.com/site/appleclubfhs/support/advice-and-articles/what-is-j ailbreaking

 Cheers, Tom

bansil wrote:

 

is it legal to restore iphone with ipsw.....

 

what do u think

                                 yes/no

IF you perform your updates in iTunes, it is possible to save the downloaded ipsw installer file (if you know where it is on your computer) and re-use it later, so yes, it is legal to re-use that installer for your own personal devices (people with multiple devices to update can avoid having to download the installer multiple times this way).  However, once or if Apple stops signing that ipsw for your hardware, it will no longer work, and will be effectively unuseable at that point.

IF you download an ipsw file from anywhere else or through any means other than iTunes, you are accessing an illegally distributed copy of proprietary software.  Apple does not make ipsw file downloads available to the general public other than through iTunes.  In these cases, no, it is illegal as the software you are using was illegally distributed.

Apple owns iOS.  Users merely license the rights to use it, but not to re-distribute it.

If you obtain the IPSW file from Apple's servers, which while not officially supported by Apple is possible to obtain via direct download rather than through iTunes, then yes, it's legal and relatively risk-free as long as you take care to get the correct file for your device. Use of such files does not require jailbreaking; the update is installed through iTunes and works just as if iTunes downloaded it.

If you obtain the file from anyone else or any site other than Apple's own servers, then it is an illegally-pirated copy and in addition is highly risky since you don't know what the file actually contains.

Regards.

Apple does not make ipsw file downloads available to the general public other than through iTunes.

They do, actually, though they don't publicize it. Apple support techs will actually sometimes direct users to those servers for direct download of the update file in cases where for some reason iTunes can't download the update itself.

Regards.

Hi bro, I want to update my Ipad 2, but Mr. Itunes is stopping the download because some kind of network problem.
My internet is not super fast, but is very consistent so I want to know if there's a way of download it outside of Itunes but legally?

I made plenty of downloads of apps in Itunes, but this iOS update is not working.

Should it keep trying or u guys have a solution?

VicenzoVendetta wrote:

 

Hi bro, I want to update my Ipad 2, but Mr. Itunes is stopping the download because some kind of network problem.
My internet is not super fast, but is very consistent so I want to know if there's a way of download it outside of Itunes but legally?

 

I made plenty of downloads of apps in Itunes, but this iOS update is not working.

Should it keep trying or u guys have a solution?

I suggest you create a new discussion and ask your question there. Explain what you are trying to do and exactly what happened. If you received and error message quote the error message exactly.