(Telecompaper) The US House of Representatives has passed a bill that will allow mobile phone users to unlock their device after their contract expires and use it on another network. The bill, which has already been approved by the Senate and will become law when it is signed by president Barack Obama, reverses a 2012 ruling by the Librarian of Congress that said that phone unlocking violated copyright. Over 114,000 people signed an internet petition to the White House to oppose the Library of Congress decision. US operators' group CTIA-The Wireless Association welcomed the move in the House. It stated that CTIA members were already committed to voluntary principles enabling consumers to unlock their devices. The CTIA also appreciated the fact that the bill avoids the imposition of any new regulatory obligations on mobile operators.