Opposed by Apple, 'right to repair' bills nonetheless pile up in state capitols
Some 17 states have now introduced so-called "right to repair" legislation despite strident opposition from consumer electronics manufacturers, including Apple.
If passed, the laws would force manufacturers to provide essentials like repair manuals and spare parts to the public. Proponents argue that this would more readily allow individuals and small business to repair their own devices, potentially saving money and lowering their environmental impact.
Legislation is currently pending in Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Virginia, Vermont, and Washington.
That's up from just five states last March. Lobbying group Repair.org puts that down to increased scrutiny thanks to recent issues like Apple's throttling of older iPhones with flagging batteries.
Apple, alongside a number of other firms, has stridently opposed this action. The company argues that repairs should be performed only by authorized technicians with the proper training to give consumers a consistent experience and protect the company's intellectual property.
Notably, Apple told officials in Nebraska last year that it would support right to repair legislation if phones were exempted.
If passed, the laws would force manufacturers to provide essentials like repair manuals and spare parts to the public. Proponents argue that this would more readily allow individuals and small business to repair their own devices, potentially saving money and lowering their environmental impact.
Legislation is currently pending in Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Virginia, Vermont, and Washington.
That's up from just five states last March. Lobbying group Repair.org puts that down to increased scrutiny thanks to recent issues like Apple's throttling of older iPhones with flagging batteries.
Apple, alongside a number of other firms, has stridently opposed this action. The company argues that repairs should be performed only by authorized technicians with the proper training to give consumers a consistent experience and protect the company's intellectual property.
Notably, Apple told officials in Nebraska last year that it would support right to repair legislation if phones were exempted.
Comments
Slightly OT: I'm recalling in more than a few episodes of Star Trek TNG, some sort of super sophisticated device is cracked open in the field while the character is isolated from the ship, on some planet or in a cave, and it somehow gets fixed or modified to do something else -- by hand (and no repair manual)! Pretty good iFixit score I suppose.
This will most likely be a primary argument against these bills. People like iFixit survive based on whether or not the bill passes. They couldn't care less about Apple's reputation, all they care about is selling tools and parts.
2,000 lbs of steel zooming down the road with brakes installed by someone with no training! It will be the end of the world as we know it!
Not to mention I am allowed to work on my own automobile. Last I looked faulty automobile repairs have a far more troublesome safety record than do consumer electronics. I have yet to see anyone crushed to death my their smart phone falling off the table during a repair gone wrong....
I fail to see that giving the consumer the choice is a bad thing, whether it is about cars or smart phones
Regarding consumer electronics, repearability is declining for various reasons but quallity gone up. We have to find balance because there is no reason to attach screen in a way that you have to brake anything to change it, or battery, buttons and camera cover. It’s nonsense.
Exactly. As long as these bills don't make the manufacturer liable for botched repairs, and for damages due to those repairs, and as long as they don't require the manuals and tools be provided for free, I don't really have a problem with this. After all, it's not like they can stop anyone from repairing a device; the most they can do under U.S. law now is void the warranty, and for most things, they can only void the warranty for that particular repair. If something else goes wrong, unconnected with that, the warranty still applies.
See above. If the repairer is 100% responsible for the repair, then I'm fine with it.I don't think Apple would be held responsible if third party repair messes up with the device. I remember someone sharing the link for the contents of this proposal earlier. We need to read it before commenting based on the title of this article.
Edit: It was @SpaceRays who shared the link earlier. http://nebraskalegislature.gov/FloorDocs/105/PDF/Intro/LB67.pdf I would request all of the people to go through this before commenting on this topic, because many questions/concerns are already addressed in the proposed bill.