US Congress House Bill 1587 (Prior Session Legislation)

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Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 7-1)
Status: Introduced on March 24 2015 - 25% progression, died in committee
Action: 2015-04-21 - Referred to the Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet.
Pending: House Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, And The Internet Committee
Text: Latest bill text (Introduced) [PDF]

Unlocking Technology Act of 2015 Amends the prohibition under federal copyright law on the circumvention of a technological measure that controls access to a copyright-protected work to require that such prohibition apply only to circumventions carried out in order to infringe or facilitate infringement of a protected work. Declares that it shall not be a violation to: (1) circumvent a technological measure if the purpose is to engage in a use that is not an infringement of federal copyright law; or (2) use, manufacture, import, offer to the public, provide, or otherwise traffic in any technology, product, service, device, component, or part primarily designed or produced to facilitate noninfringing uses of protected works by circumventing a technological measure that effectively controls access to such work, unless the intent is to infringe or facilitate infringement of a copyright. Declares that it is not an infringement to copy or adapt the software or firmware of a user-purchased mobile communications device for the sole purpose of enabling the device to connect to a wireless communications network if: (1) the copying or adapting is initiated by, or with the consent of, the owner of that device or the owner's agent; (2) the owner or agent is in legal possession of the device; and (3) the owner has the consent of, or an agreement with, the authorized operator of such wireless communications network to make use of its network. (Thus, allows the "unlocking" of mobile devices without requiring an owner to obtain the consent of the initial carrier network before switching to a new carrier.) Directs the President to ensure that applicable bilateral and multilateral trade agreements are modified to be consistent with this Act.

Unlocking Technology Act of 2015

Rep. Zoe Lofgren [D-CA]	Rep. Thomas Massie [R-KY]	Rep. Jared Polis [D-CO]	Rep. Anna Eshoo [D-CA]
Rep. Peter DeFazio [D-OR]	Rep. Emanuel Cleaver [D-MO]	Rep. Michael Honda [D-CA]	Rep. Louise Slaughter [D-NY]

Date	Chamber	Action
2015-04-21	House	Referred to the Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet.
2015-03-24	House	Referred to House Ways and Means
2015-03-24	House	Referred to House Judiciary
2015-03-24	House	Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
2015-03-24	House	Introduced in House

Type	Source
Summary	https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-bill/1587/all-info
Text	https://www.congress.gov/114/bills/hr1587/BILLS-114hr1587ih.pdf