The UK recently announced that starting from the end of next year, it will ban the sale of phones locked by operators. Now, the United States may follow suit. However, it may not be so easy.
Unlike the UK’s order that prohibits the sale of phones locked by operators from the Bureau of Communications (Ofcom), the FCC’s current administration (which is equivalent to Ofcom in the US) may not have a ban on its agenda. However, an article by Wired explains a way to delete it.
The current FCC administration, led by Ajit Pai, is unlikely to implement the ban because the regulator is reportedly friendly to private companies and broadband services.
However, Kerry Maeve Sheehan, head of maintenance policy at iFixit, believes that under Biden’s management, this may be easier, but it is not known whether it will happen. However, all hope will not be lost.
Another way to achieve this goal is through the U.S. Library of Congress and Copyright Office’s rulemaking process, which accepts public comment.
The procedure, which takes place every three years, provides an opportunity to amend section 1201 of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, which allows companies to use software to lock their products.
Originally designed to provide protection for publishers of books and games or content that may be illegally copied, operators use it to defend the locks they place on their phones.
The current alternative is to have citizens send their comments to modify this section, and if a strong case can be determined, it can be changed.
It is said that it is in progress, and the first batch of comments must be submitted before December 14. Since the entire process is not expected to take place until next spring, this will not be instant. It also needs money to pay legal fees, but it can be done.
