Freedom to Repair Act of 2022
Bill: H.R.6566 | Sponsor: Rep. Jones, Mondaire (D-NY)
Policy area: Commerce

Summary:
Freedom to Repair Act of 2022
This bill exempts actions related to the repair of digital electronic equipment from certain copyright-related prohibitions.
Generally, current federal copyright law prohibits (1) circumventing technological measures (e.g., copy protection technology) that effectively control access to a copyright-protected work; or (2) trafficking (e.g., manufacturing or importing) in products, technologies, or services primarily designed or produced for such acts of circumvention.
Under this bill, such an act of circumvention or trafficking shall not be prohibited if the act is for the purpose of diagnosing, maintaining, or repairing digital electronic equipment. However, this bill shall not apply to (1) a manufacturer or distributor of a medical device or digital electronic product (or embedded software) manufactured for use in a medical setting, or (2) any product or service offered by such a manufacturer or distributor.

To amend title 17, United States Code, to provide for the diagnosis, 
    maintenance, and repair of certain digital electronic equipment.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Freedom to Repair Act of 2022''.

SEC. 2. DIAGNOSIS, MAINTENANCE, AND REPAIR OF CERTAIN DIGITAL 
              ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT.

    Section 1201 of title 17, United States Code, is amended by adding 
at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(l) Diagnosis, Maintenance, and Repair of Digital Electronic 
Equipment.--(1) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a)(1)(A), 
it is not a violation of that subsection for a person, for the purpose 
of the diagnosis, maintenance, or repair of digital electronic 
equipment, to circumvent a technological measure that effectively 
controls access to a work protected under this title.
    ``(2) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a)(2), it is 
not a violation of that subsection for a person, for the purpose of the 
diagnosis, maintenance, or repair of digital electronic equipment, to 
manufacture, import, offer to the public, provide, or otherwise traffic 
in any technology, product, service, device, component, or part thereof 
described in that subsection.
    ``(3) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (b)(1), it is 
not a violation of that subsection for a person, for the purpose of the 
diagnosis, maintenance, or repair of digital electronic equipment, to 
manufacture, import, offer to the public, provide, or otherwise traffic 
in any technology, product, service, device, component, or part thereof 
described in that subsection.
    ``(4) Nothing in this subsection applies to manufacturers or 
distributors of a medical device as defined in the Federal Food, Drug, 
and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. Sec. 321(h)) or a digital electronic 
product or embedded software manufactured for use in a medical setting 
including diagnostic, monitoring, or control equipment or any product 
or service that they offer.
    ``(5) For the purposes of this subsection, the term `digital 
electronic equipment' means any product dependent, in whole or in part, 
upon attached or embedded digital electronics to function.''.
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