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posted by janrinok on Monday January 29 2018, @02:35AM   Printer-friendly
from the and-so-it-begins dept.

A number of states are considering right to repair bills, legislation which if passed would make it easier for individuals and repair shops to replace or repair electronics parts. Repair.org reports that 17 states have already introduced bills this year and while most aim to make repair parts and manuals accessible, Washington's proposed legislation would straight up ban electronics that prevent easy repair. "Original manufacturers of digital electronic products sold on or after January 1, 2019, in Washington state are prohibited from designing or manufacturing digital electronic products in such a way as to prevent reasonable diagnostic or repair functions by an independent repair provider," says the bill. "Preventing reasonable diagnostic or repair functions includes permanently affixing a battery in a manner that makes it difficult or impossible to remove."

[...] Naturally, tech groups have jumped to make their opposition clear. In a letter to Morris, groups such as the Consumer Technology Association, the Telecommunications Industry Association and the Computer Technology Industry Association said the bill was "unwarranted" and added, "With access to technical information, criminals can more easily circumvent security protections, harming not only the product owner but also everyone who shares their network."

Source: Engadget


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  • (Score: 4, Interesting) by leftover on Monday January 29 2018, @03:26AM

    by leftover (2448) on Monday January 29 2018, @03:26AM (#629684)

    Same experience here. Most (aka 'all') of my equipment gets opened sooner or later. Making that harder just means fixing broken parts takes extra time and resources. This does not endear the brand to me. Stock ICs either potted-in or with the numbers ground off have been known to get suppliers blacklisted. It isn't just electronic products with this problem: fan motors with standard-size bearings locked inside spot-welded sheetmetal cases are a particular peeve. Flimsy cases accelerate bearing failure then prevent their replacement. Only a fully indoctrinated BA major could see that as a good thing.

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