As consumer electronics become smaller and smaller, electronics manufacturers realize the significance of gaining an added flexibility when it comes to labeling their products while remaining conscious of rules outlined by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
This time, manufacturers are given the option to label their products electronically, as opposed to physically branding them, because of the E-Label Act.
President Obama signed the E-Label Act into law on Nov. 26. The E-Label Act, otherwise known as the "Enhance Labeling, Accessing, and Branding of Electronics Licenses Act of 2014," promotes the non-exclusive use of electronic labeling for certain devices licensed by the FCC.
The act means that most logos that are usually displayed on the back side of the phone will no longer be viewed physically on the device. Instead, they will have to be displayed through the use of software.
In essence, phones and tablets can have a cleaner, label-free, and sticker-free look. All of these information will instead be viewable in the phone's software.
Most Android phones have labels placed on either the exterior shell or under the battery compartment. Labels would normally contain information such as the device's serial number and IMEI number.
While consumers are divided in their opinion on the significance of the E-Label Act, it had actually gained a unanimous approval when it passed through the House. Likewise, the act didn't raise any issues when it went through the Senate.
According to Senator Deb Fischer, the bill's author who introduced S.2583 in the Senate as a companion legislation to the E-Label law, the act is a "commonsense" move necessary in the 21st century.
My E-LABEL Act brings reg relief to electronics manufacturers & increases access to info for consumers. https://t.co/D7fMNbtZvU via @OWHnews
— Senator Deb Fischer (@SenatorFischer) November 15, 2014
Other labeling information that could be transferred into the device's software include recycling, FCC, and the UL logos for the U.S. bound gadgets.
"We are in the midst of an innovation era where new, ground-breaking technologies and devices are introduced into the information and communications technology marketplace almost daily," said Congressman Bob Latta, who sponsored the act. "The House's passage of the E-Label Act recognizes the importance of facilitating continued innovation and providing flexibility to manufacturers, so they can compete and create next-generation technologies that consumers demand."
The case may, however, be different for those devices that bear the CE logo as they are governed by the European Union. This means that the logos on these devices may have to remain physically visible for a while longer.
