White House: Unlocking mobile phones should be legal

IDG News Service - U.S. President Barack Obama's administration has sided with more than 100,000 petition signers who asked the government to legalize the unlocking of smartphones.

The White House on Monday agreed with petitioners who asked the Library of Congress to rescind a decision that removed the act of unlocking a smartphone from the legal exceptions under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA).

Buyers of smartphones and tablets should be able to unlock their devices "without risking criminal or other penalties," R. David Edelman, White House senior adviser for Internet, innovation and privacy, wrote in response to the petition on Whitehouse.gov.

Phone unlocking entrepreneur Sina Khanifar started the petition in late January and more than 114,000 people signed it. The Obama administration has promised to respond to petitions that collect more than 100,000 signatures within a month.

Unlocking a phone is typically used to switch carriers. "If you have paid for your mobile device, and aren't bound by a service agreement or other obligation, you should be able to use it on another network," Edelman wrote. "It's common sense, crucial for protecting consumer choice, and important for ensuring we continue to have the vibrant, competitive wireless market that delivers innovative products and solid service to meet consumers' needs."

A legal protection for unlocking mobile phones expired in late January after the Librarian of Congress decided to leave it out of a list of exemptions under the DMCA.

The Obama administration would support a "range of approaches" to addressing mobile phone unlocking, including legislation and action by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission, Edelman wrote.

"We would encourage mobile providers to consider what steps they as businesses can take to ensure that their customers can fully reap the benefits and features they expect when purchasing their devices," he added.

The Library of Congress, in a statement, defended the rulemaking process used to review exemptions under the DMCA. The library did not indicate that it would change its decision.

"The rulemaking is a technical, legal proceeding and involves a lengthy public process," the library said.A The proceeding is "based on a factual record developed by the proponents and other interested parties.A The officials must consider whether the evidence establishes a need for the exemption based on several statutory factors."

The library's statement suggested a role for Congress or the administration in changing the unlocking rules.

The rulemaking process "was not intended to be a substitute for deliberations of broader public policy," the statement said. "[The] rulemaking can often serve as a barometer for broader policy concerns and broader policy action.A The most recent rulemaking has served this purpose."