The Librarian of Congress, who is responsible for rulings on copyright in
the US has
granted an exemption that will allow users to take their handset with them if
they switch carriers. The change, which takes effect Monday, allows users to
bypass software locks on handsets with or without a carrier's help to lawfully
bring their phones with them to a new network. The ruling found that software
locks like SIM locks or SPC codes on handsets were not covered by the DMCA
because they are designed to protect a business model instead of preventing
copyright infringement. While this ruling covers SIM locks and other
handset-based locks, the ruling does not prevent CDMA networks from refusing to
allow a user's phone on a network. The exemption will last for at least three
years, but the Librarian of Congress could be asked to review the exemption in a
future DMCA evaluation, which happen every three years.