Apple's written comments to the Copyright Office were in response to the EFF's request last year for an exemption to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) for cell phone jailbreaking. The EFF, and other technology companies that support it, including Firefox maker , want the Copyright Office to let users install applications not available through Apple's App Store on their iPhones without fear of copyright infringement penalties.

On Thursday Fred von Lohmann, the EFF senior staff attorney who is the organization's expert in intellectual property law, blasted Apple.

"Apple justifies [its position] by claiming that opening the iPhone to independently created applications will compromise safety, security, reliability, and swing the doors wide for those who want to run pirated software," said Lohmann in a . "If this sounds like FUD [fear, uncertainty and doubt], that's because it is."

Elsewhere, Lohmann called Apple's take on jailbreaking an "absurdity."

"One need only transpose Apple's arguments to the world of automobiles to recognize their absurdity," Lohmann said. "General Motors might tell us that, for our own safety, all servicing should be done by an authorized GM dealer using only genuine GM parts. But we'd never accept this corporate paternalism as a justification for welding every car hood shut and imposing legal liability on car buffs tinkering in their garages."