House Judiciary Members Introduce Legislation to Restore Consumers’ Ability to Unlock Cell Phones

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) and Ranking Member John Conyers (D-MI) -- along with Rep Howard Coble (R-NC), Chairman of the Courts, Intellectual Property and the Internet Subcommittee and Rep Mel Watt (D-NC), Ranking Member of the Courts, Intellectual Property and the Internet Subcommittee -- introduced legislation to restore consumers’ ability to unlock their mobile phones, in order to switch from one wireless carrier to another.

This bill also directs the Copyright Office to determine whether similar treatment should be given to other wireless devices. The Unlocking Consumer Choice and Wireless Competition Act (H.R. 1123) restores the exemption to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) that permits consumers, once they have fulfilled their contractual obligation, to unlock their cell phones without the approval of their wireless provider. The DMCA rulemaking was announced in October and continued the exemption for cell phones purchased on or before January 26, 2013. The exemption was allowed to expire for cell phones purchased after that date.