[HN Gopher] Nixing the Fix: An FTC Report to Congress on Repair ...
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       Nixing the Fix: An FTC Report to Congress on Repair Restrictions
       [pdf]
        
       Author : sinak
       Score  : 31 points
       Date   : 2021-05-06 20:17 UTC (2 hours ago)
        
 (HTM) web link (www.ftc.gov)
 (TXT) w3m dump (www.ftc.gov)
        
       | sundvor wrote:
       | I made a tiny donation to Rossmann's campaign. Time poor at the
       | moment, I skipped straight to the conclusion which is very
       | uplifting:
       | 
       | "To address unlawful repair restrictions, the FTC will pursue
       | appropriate law enforcement and regulatory options, as well as
       | consumer education, consistent with our statutory authority. The
       | Commission also stands ready to work with legislators, either at
       | the state or federal level, in order to ensure that consumers
       | have choices when they need to repair products that they purchase
       | and own."
       | 
       | Looking forward to reading the full report later.
        
       | xbar wrote:
       | ...we conclude by explaining that, based on the record before us,
       | it is clear that repair restrictions have diluted the
       | effectiveness of Section 102(c) and steered consumers into
       | manufacturers' repair networks or to replace products before the
       | end of their useful lives.
       | 
       | Based on a review of comments submitted and materials presented
       | during the Workshop, there is scant evidence to support
       | manufacturers' justifications for repair restrictions.18
        
       | tyingq wrote:
       | Doesn't this sort of report typically come just before somebody
       | gets made an example of? I wonder who's first.
        
       | TimSchumann wrote:
       | Obligatory link to Louis Rossmann's recent Right to Repair
       | fundraiser. Please consider donating if you're interested in
       | helping legislate for more open/repairable hardware.
       | 
       | https://www.gofundme.com/f/lets-get-right-to-repair-passed
        
         | kiba wrote:
         | Everytime I see that gofundme posted to the front page, it
         | seemed to go down awfully fast.
        
       | rsj_hn wrote:
       | It's a lot more important than many realize. Good products -- for
       | example tractors and electric cars -- are being locked down and
       | made less appealing to customers because of right to repair
       | restrictions and exorbitant maintenance costs. It's one thing
       | when you have to go to the manufacturer to repair your iphone,
       | but when you need to do that to repair a tractor or a personal
       | vehicle you have to use, then that can truly impoverish people.
       | This is a very important battle in the fight to preserve the
       | middle class.
        
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       (page generated 2021-05-06 23:00 UTC)