Phone unlocking bill clears US House, next step is president's signature

Finally, Congress did something productive for a change.

Phone unlocking bill clears US House, next step is president's signature

A bill that allows consumers to unlock their cellphones for use on other carriers passed its last hurdle in Congress on Friday, opening the way for it to become law once it is signed by President Barack Obama.

Senate Bill 517 overturns a January 2013 decision by the Library of Congress that ruled the unlocking of phones by consumers fell afoul of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). It had previously been permitted under an exception to the anti-circumvention provisions of the DMCA, which are generally aimed at cracking of digital rights management technology.

Does anyone have any idea how many phones ended up (or would have ended up) in landfills because of the DMCA interpretation?

Victory for consumers and a victory for the environment.

Tablets next....

In the uk go to Carphone warehouse, all their phones are unlocked when you buy them. Maybe an exception with iphones?
The reason is simple. You want a phone on whatever network, the next guy wants the same phone on another network, by selling unlocked phones they only have to stock one phone, not one for each carrier.

I don't see how it could have been constitutional to dictate what people do with their personal property in the first place.
I do not see a new bill telling me that I can do something with what I own being productive.
Why are lawmakers wasting time debating stupid issues when there are so many valid issues to look at?
Best question, why is there money in politics?

The original idea of "locking-in" phones to carrier networks was to subsidize the high cost of the handset through the monthly billing to the customer. The system was called SUBSIDY and it involved using a hardware passcode to limit the free selection of carrier networks. It is possible to pay to get phones "unlocked" by paying to get the SUBSIDY code number. So they actually added technology to reduce customer freedom.

a reply to: loam

This is the insanity of it, why did the Obama administration outlaw it in the first place?

Cant stand when people give government credit for undoing their endless list of screw-ups.

Starting Today, It's Illegal to Unlock Your Cellphone.

Starting today, the U.S. Copyright Office and Library of Congress are no longer allowing phone unlocking as an exemption under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA).

Of course, the carriers prefer the new rule because it ties your phone to their network.

Sick and tired of government agencies ie unelected government bureaucrats being able to write law, from the EPA to the BATFE, they all need to go. What the heck is the role of Congress if these bureaucrats can create rules which have the force of law?