In 2010 the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) successfully convinced the United States Copyright Office to grant an exemption to the anti-circumvention provisions of the DMCA.

In a rulemaking determination effective October 28, 2012, the Copyright Office declined to extend the unlocking exemption for the next three-year period.

Phones purchased more than 90 days past the effective date would again be subject to the anti-circumvention clause of the DMCA and could not be legally unlocked without the carrier's permission.

[4][1] In March 2013, the Obama administration and the Federal Communications Commission expressed the opinion that consumers should be able to switch carriers and keep their existing phones[5] in response to a successful petition on the WhiteHouse.gov platform We the People.

Based on information from the LOC, CBO estimates that implementing the provisions of the bill would not have a significant effect on the agency's workload.

1123, the Unlocking Consumer Choice and Wireless Competition Act, as ordered reported by the House Committee on the Judiciary on July 31, 2013.

[7] The Unlocking Consumer Choice and Wireless Competition Act was introduced into the United States Senate on March 11, 2013 by Sen. Patrick J. Leahy (D, VT).

[9] Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) supported the bill, saying "this is something that Americans have been asking for and I am pleased that we were able to work together to ensure the swift passage of legislation restoring the exemption that allowed consumers to unlock their cell phones.