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ReMA Applauds Passage of Legislation Permitting Recyclers to “Unlock” Used Cell Phones for Reuse

Jul 25, 2014, 11:00 AM by Mark Carpenter

Congress Passes the Unlocking Consumer Choice and Wireless Competition Act

(Washington, DC) – The Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI), the Voice of the Recycling IndustryTM applauds the passage today of the Unlocking Consumer Choice and Wireless Competition Act (S.517/H.R.1123) that reinstates the exemption for recyclers and refurbishers to bulk unlock used cell phones for refurbishment and resale.

ISRI especially thanks Senator Leahy (D-VT) and Representative Goodlatte (R-VA) for their bi-partisan leadership in working together to pass this legislation that removes the competitive disadvantage to recyclers and refurbishers in the marketplace. Previously, electronics manufacturers and telecommunication carriers wielded the power of copyright to control access to information necessary to unlock, refurbish and resell used technological devices, such as cell phones and tablets.

Last October, the ReMA Board of Directors approved a cellphone unlocking policy that called for allowing consumers, including recyclers and refurbishers, the right to lawfully unlock technological devices. By allowing bulk unlocking, recyclers and refurbishers are able to put valuable and working devices back into the domestic and global marketplace where there is a strong demand. This Act is consistent with ISRI’s policy.

“We are very pleased that the legal right for recyclers and refurbishers to bulk unlock cell phones has been restored,” said ReMA President Robin Wiener. “Copyright law should not stand in the way of advances in the legitimate reuse of cell phones and tablets or prevent innovations and competitive uses for such devices.”

ISRI serves as the largest organization representing electronics recyclers with nearly 400 member companies that handle electronics at more than 675 locations throughout the U.S. and around the world. It also partners with Earth911 on the initiative Project Reboot to educate consumers on the importance of electronics recycling.

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The Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries, Inc. (ISRI)
The Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries, Inc. (ISRI) is the Voice of the Recycling Industry™. ReMA represents more than 1,600 companies in 21 chapters nationwide that process, broker and industrially consume scrap commodities, including metals, paper, plastics, glass, rubber, electronics and textiles. With headquarters in Washington, DC, the Institute provides safety, education, advocacy, and compliance training, and promotes public awareness of the vital role recycling plays in the U.S. economy, global trade, the environment and sustainable development. For more information about ISRI, visit www.ISRI.org.