Copyright for Creatives

2.1 Right to Repair

Imagine owning a tool...that you aren't allowed to fix. It doesn't matter if you have the ability to fix it. It doesn't even matter that you personally, legally own the tool. You legally have no right to fix your own tools.

That's the situation farmers were facing just a year or so ago. When their tractors broke down, they were expected to take the tractor in to an authorized repair shop, and pay prices they really couldn't afford or control. Tractor companies refused to release the parts necessary to allow farmers to affordably and quickly fix one of their most critical tools.

I don't know about you, but I think there's something horribly wrong with that. If I own it, and I can fix it, I should be able to keep it running or functional.

The farmers felt the same way. So in response (and frustration at trying to keep their tractor sexy), they pursued their Right to Repair. That's right - They had to fight for the legal right to be able to keep their critical tools working because the tractor manufacturers believed allowing that was a violation of their rights. And the farmers won.

So, what is Right to Repair? It protects a consumer's right to repair a certain class of product rather than be required to hand the product off to the company that originally created it or risk voiding their warranty. It's not recognized in all states, and it only recognizes certain types of tools and products: farm equipment, consumer electronics, and motor vehicles.

Anyone who's tried to keep a dying phone up and running can vouch for that. And it's much the same problem - phone developers are convinced anyone capable of repairing their own phone is capable of stealing the company's secrets. Maybe they've missed all the news on the ways they try to render each other obsolete before release. ;)

But in February 2019, insurance company Allstate bought a phone repair company. (Source: https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/nex3dz/insurance-giant-allstate-buys-icracked-phone-repair-company-joins-right-to-repair-movement). While no one is quite sure why, it would appear an insurance company could be positioning itself to be a champion (or at the very least an ally) for the Right to Repair movement. Or they want a designated repair shop for phones. It's a tough call at this point.

Inspired by this movement in the U.S., Canada is now exploring Right to Repair legislation. (Source: https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/gyawqy/right-to-repair-legislation-is-officially-being-considered-in-ontario-canada)

It seems a little backwards that we can't just fix our broken tools and products, and maybe this has played a bit into a cultural mindset that broken things are disposable rather than fixable. But as the Right to Repair movement grows, we might just regain our ability to keep things running on our own.