A new bill making it legal to unlock your cellphone or other mobile device has arrived in the House of Representatives.The Unlocking Technology Act of 2013 would also make it legal to circumvent digital rights management DRM locks to use protected content in a way that doesnt violate copyright law and to develop and sell cellphone unlocking software. It was introduced Thursday by Rep. Zoe Lofgren D-Calif. and backed by co-sponsors Jared Polis D-Colo. and Thomas Massie R-Ky.. Lofgren and Polis in particular have earned a reputation for being closely involved in technology policy issues.The Unlocking Technology Act comes after an intense lobbying effort spearheaded by copyright activists Sina Khanifar and Derek Khanna. Their campaign to legalize unlocking began in January, when the Librarian of Congress failed to include unlocking in an updated list of exemptions to the Digital Millenium Copyright Act DMCA.Written in 1988, the DMCA made it illegal to create or sell software for circumventing anti-piracy locks on digital content. It also made it illegal to circumvent those locks to use protected content regardless of whether the intended use was a violation of existing copyright law. The Librarian of Congress is authorized to update a list of exemptions to the DMCA once every three years.

via New Bill Legalizing Cellphone Unlocking Introduced in House.