[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 467 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

113th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 467

       To allow consumers to unlock mobile wireless devices for 
                       interoperability purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 5, 2013

   Mr. Wyden introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
               referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
       To allow consumers to unlock mobile wireless devices for 
                       interoperability purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Wireless Device Independence Act of 
2013''.

SEC. 2. ALLOWING CONSUMERS TO UNLOCK CELL PHONES.

    (a) In General.--Section 1201(a)(1)(B) of title 17, United States 
Code, is amended by striking ``not apply to persons'' and inserting the 
following: ``not apply to--
                            ``(i) a user of a computer program, in the 
                        form of firmware or software, that enables a 
                        wireless telephone handset, or other wireless 
                        device that can connect to the Internet, 
                        originally acquired from the operator of a 
                        wireless telecommunications network or retailer 
                        to connect to a different wireless 
                        telecommunications network if--
                                    ``(I) the user legally owns a copy 
                                of the computer program;
                                    ``(II) the use of the computer 
                                program by the user is solely for the 
                                purpose of connecting to such wireless 
                                telecommunications network; and
                                    ``(III) the access to such wireless 
                                telecommunications network is 
                                authorized by the operator of the 
                                network; or
                            ``(ii) persons''.
    (b) Conforming Amendments.--Section 1201(a)(1) of title 17, United 
States Code, is amended--
            (1) in subparagraph (C), by striking ``subparagraph (B)'' 
        and inserting ``subparagraph (B)(ii)''; and
            (2) in subparagraph (E), by striking ``Neither the 
        exception'' and inserting ``Neither of the exceptions''.

SEC. 3. EFFECTIVE DATE.

    The amendments made by this Act shall take effect as if enacted on 
January 26, 2013.
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