Normally, an iPad or other iOS devices such as iPhones or iPods can only download Apple-approved apps that are available in the App Store. Jailbreaking is a process that frees the iPad from this restriction, allowing the device to access additional features and apps available outside of the App Store, including apps that Apple has rejected for various reasons.

Jailbreaking doesn’t alter the core functionality of the device, and a jailbroken iPad can still purchase and download apps from Apple’s App Store. However, jailbroken devices rely on third-party app stores to download apps that Apple has rejected or that take advantage of the additional features that jailbreaking provides. Cydia, which is typically installed during the jailbreaking process, is the most popular storefront for jailbroken iOS devices. Icy is an alternative to Cydia.

It is legal to jailbreak an iPhone, but it is not legal to jailbreak an iPad. The Library of Congress ruled that it was legal for a person to jailbreak an iPhone in order to install legally obtained software, but that the term “tablet” was too vague to make an exception for those gadgets.

The ruling makes jailbreaking an iPad a violation of copyright law, but if you’re considering jailbreaking your device, it may be more of an ethical dilemma than a practical one. It’s clear from the Library of Congress’s ruling that the agency thinks jailbreaking is okay. They just want a better definition of a tablet. If Apple were to sue an individual over this, it would not only be a PR nightmare, but it would also give the courts the ability to weigh in on the issue. Courts have sided with the public on similar issues.