The New York Times is highlighting the right to repair movement. Quoting the story:
A movement known as “right to repair” is starting to make progress in pushing for laws that prohibit restrictions.
This August, Democrats introduced a bill in Congress to block manufacturers’ limits on medical devices, spurred by the pandemic. In Europe, the European Commission announced plans in March for new right-to-repair rules that would cover phones, tablets, and laptops by 2021.
In less than two weeks, Massachusetts voters will consider a measure that would make it easier for local garages to work on cars. And in more than 20 statehouses nationwide, right-to-repair legislation has been introduced in recent years by both Republicans and Democrats.
Over the summer, the House advanced a funding bill that includes a requirement that the FTC complete a report on anticompetitive practices in the repair market and present its findings to Congress and the public. And in a letter to the Federal Trade Commission, Marine Captain Elle Ekman and former Marine Lucas Kunce last year detailed how mechanics in the American armed forces have run into similar obstacles.
Right to repair is very much linked to service operations, and you should care how this falls out. I believe a healthy aftermarket of repairs and maintenance is good for technology services companies, particularly in extending viability of a number of solutions to meet customer needs.
As any creative services firms know, you often solve problems in unique and unexpected ways, and sometimes that requires keeping units in service longer than you originally expected. Having the ability to repair those devices is good for customers and providers.
It’s also damaging to have these limitations on customers – as shown in numerous instances.
Source: New York Times