A bipartisan group of House lawmakers introduced a...
A bipartisan group of House lawmakers introduced a bill Thursday to clarify that unlocking one’s phone in order to switch networks is not copyright infringement. The Unlocking Technology Act was authored by Reps. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif.; Thomas Massie, R-Ky.; Jared…
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Polis, D-Colo.; and House Communications Subcommittee Ranking Member Anna Eshoo, D-Calif. If passed, the legislation would clarify that consumers are permitted to circumvent the technological protection measures that prevent their handsets from being used with other networks. Under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), those who unlock their phones without permission from their carriers may be subject to civil lawsuits, criminal fines or imprisonment. The bill would direct the Department of Commerce to determine the impact that the DMCA has on consumer choice, competition and the free flow of information. The legislation would also call for a report to determine if the DMCA should be reformed or repealed. If passed, the legislation would task the executive branch with ensuring that any foreign trade agreements with copyright provisions are consistent with the legislation. A handful of lawmakers introduced cellphone-unlocking bills after top telecom officials in the administration advocated for legislative fixes to give consumers greater control over their devices (CD March 5 p1). Public Knowledge Vice President-Legal Affairs Sherwin Siy said “legal uses of copyrighted works shouldn’t become illegal through a technicality, and fixing this flaw in the law prevents manufacturers from locking consumers in to particular products and service plans,” in a news release.