Vehicle owners in California and across the United States will soon be able to alter their automobiles software without violating U.S. copyright laws, thanks to changes with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA).

As part of the latest three year review, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, an advocacy group based in San Francisco, filed petitions seeking changes to parts of the copyright act that prohibit consumers from unlocking software on certain products. Two of the petitions dealt directly with automobile software used to control a vehicles engine and emissions-control units. A lawyer with the Electronic Frontier Foundation said the group believes that researchers and car owners need access to vehicle software not only to make repairs or to adjust performance, but also to improve security.

While digital rights activists have applauded the changes, environmental regulators and automobile manufacturers oppose the decision. They warn that modifications to engine software could be dangerous and/or could result in increased tailpipe emission if changes are being performed to increase power and/or boost fuel economy.

The changes, scheduled to take effect next year, comes with some restrictions which include:

• A 12-month waiting period before the exemption will be officially granted.
• Changes to certain systems, such as the software that controls telematics or entertainment systems is not exempt and cannot be modified.
• Owners are still held accountable if software changes violate laws or regulations, especially those from the DOT or the EPA.