Newest Phone Unlocking Bill Criticized as 'Temporary Fix'

[brooklynite]

Source: PC Magazine

Another phone unlocking bill has emerged on Capitol Hill, with Judiciary Committee members from both chambers joining forces to allow users to unlock their devices without carrier permission.

Judiciary Committee Chairman Sen. Patrick Leahy and Democratic Senate colleague Al Franken, as well as Republicans Chuck Grassley, Orrin Hatch, and Mike Lee unveiled the Unlocking Consumer Choice and Wireless Competition Act yesterday. In the House, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte and Ranking Member John Conyers are backing companion legislation.

"Right now, folks who decide to change cellphone carriers are frequently forced to buy a new phone or risk the possibility of criminal penalties, and that's just not fair for consumers," Franken said in a statement.

The bill reverses a decision from the Library of Congress's Copyright Office, which made cell phone unlocking illegal back in January. The LOC is required to revisit certain copyright issues (like unlocking and jailbreaking) every three years as part of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), and this year, it found that carriers now provide users with enough options to unlock their devices. As a result, those users now need their carrier's permission before unlocking a phone.

Read more: http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2416532,00.asp

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Maybe it would just be simpler to repeal DMCA? Just a thought...

[Kelvin Mace]

1. Like all bought and paid for legislation

it will never be repealed.

[harmonicon]

2. The DMCA is a joke.

I think a lot of the shit that goes on under the egis of the DMCA goes under the radar of most people, but things like suggesting that cellphone unlocking is illegal should highlight to more people what a joke it is and - yes, this is only wishful thinking - maybe inspire people to consider sensible copyright reform.