New York is one of four states considering legislation that would guarantee your right to get your stuff fixed by independent repair centers, curbing manufacturers’ attempts to limit access to technical documentation and parts, meaning you pay less to keep your stuff working, and that means that your gadgets don’t become immortal, toxic e-waste.
But the electronic industry, led by Apple, is running a hardcore lobbying campaign to prevent this, trying to preserve manufacturers’ monopolies on service.
The Right to Repair coalition has an open letter you can sign onto that they’ll send to the New York Senate and Assembly. More than 14,000 New Yorkers have already sent their stories in. Tell your friends!
Part of the resistance to “right to repair” is a suspicion that the amendments could force companies to reveal secrets about how their devices are made. New York’s amendment contains a clause batting down those concerns, stating nothing “shall be construed to require an [original equipment manufacturer] to divulge a trade secret.”
“They give the argument about intellectual property concerns,” Boyle told HuffPost. “To me, it’s not the strongest argument. It’s more about dollars and cents to me. It would cost them a lot of money in repair work.”
Something’s Rotten About Apple’s Recycling Efforts
[Damon Beres and Andy Campbell/Huffington Post]
(Thanks, Kyle!)