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Yes, Americans, you can break anti-piracy DRM if you want to repair some of your kit – US govt
The US Copyright Office has ruled that, in certain circumstances, folks can legally break a manufacturer's anti-piracy mechanisms – aka digital rights management (DRM) – if they want to repair their own gear.
The ruling, issued Thursday, states that from this Sunday onwards "the prohibition against circumvention of technological measures that effectively control access to copyrighted works shall not apply to persons who engage in noninfringing uses of certain classes of such works."
The new rules apply to smartphones, tablets, smartwatches, routers and other wireless hotspots, chatty gizmos like Amazon Alexa and Google Home, plus cars, trucks and tractors. Thus, within the next few days, they can all be repaired by anyone with the skills, and it's legal to break any DRM stopping you from doing so. Sadly the Copyright Office didn't include games consoles, aircraft, nor boats, and the copy protection systems on HDMI must remain untouched.
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Last year dozens of 'Right to Repair' bills were introduced throughout the US, but defeated. Maybe this time its time has come.
Right to Repair bills, designed to foster competition in the repair industry, require manufacturers to allow repair, and even provide manuals, diagnosic software, and parts. Manufacturers oppose these laws as it can cost them more to address devices repaired by third parties, because repairs are a source of revenue, and because repaired items are less likely to be replaced with new ones.
[O]ne of the most effective anti-repair tactics is to spread FUD about the supposed security risks of independent repairs.
Without a concerted and coordinated effort to counteract this tactic, legislators receive primarily well-heeled opposing views, and vote accordingly.
A legislator in Canada has proposed a bill to ensure that individuals and indpendent shops can repair brand-name devices. If on the off chance that the bill becomes law, major hardware vendors will have to change how they sell their products.
[...] On Thursday, Coteau introduced a private member's bill in provincial parliament that, if passed, would be the first "right to repair" law for electronic devices in North America. More than a dozen US states are currently considering similar bills, but nothing is on the books yet in the US or in Canada.
The legislation proposes that tech companies make diagnostic tools, repair manuals, and official parts available to consumers at their request. The legislation would also require that any new products ship with a repair manual. Documents provided to consumers must be free unless they request paper copies, and parts, tools, and software must be provided at a fair price.
Earlier on SN:
Apple's T2 Security Chip Can Prevent Unauthorized Third-Party Repair of Devices
Yes, Americans, You Can Break Anti-Piracy DRM If You Want to Repair Some of Your Kit – US Govt
45 Out of 50 Electronics Companies Illegally Void Warranties After Independent Repair, Sting Reveals
The Right to Repair Battle Has Come to California
(Score: 3, Informative) by bzipitidoo on Friday October 26 2018, @02:32PM (15 children)
There's not much point in repairing something that is hopelessly obsolete. Preservation of history may be the biggest reason. Saving on expenses is often so little it's not worth it for that reason. I'm guessing obsolescence is the main thing that has kept the Right to Repair from being a much bigger issue than it is.
Desktop computer manufacturers got away with a whopper in the early 2000s: the capacitor plague. Capacitors in all kinds of things manufactured circa 2000-2005 were flawed and would fail after a few years. Could still get stuff with bad capacitors as late as 2007, as they might use old inventory. Luckily for the manufacturers, most equipment that had those capacitors was close enough to obsolete when it failed that owners figured their equipment hadn't aged well, was failing a little early, and simply replaced everything with new stuff, without knowing at the time what had really happened.
(Score: 4, Insightful) by TheFool on Friday October 26 2018, @02:54PM
I think that for the cheaper items on this list, that's true - it's generally not worth the hassle for most people to repair except as a hobby. But the ruling also included:
These things don't really go obsolete. A car from the 50s will perform the same job, more or less, as a car from 2018. And it's not even uncommon to see tractors in use that are 40 or 50 years old. So this just means that a tractor bought today could be potentially used in 40 years, regardless of what DRM the parts have, which is nice (for the farmers, not necessarily John Deere or whoever).
(Score: 5, Insightful) by Runaway1956 on Friday October 26 2018, @03:06PM
Think John Deere, and other equipment manufacturers. Some of those tractors cost more than most people will pay in rent and/or mortgage all of their lives long. In fact, they cost more than some people will ever earn in their lives. And, I'm not even talking about third world countries where a hundred dollars is a fortune!
Following a link from TFA, you arrive at this page: https://www.npr.org/sections/alltechconsidered/2015/08/17/432601480/diy-tractor-repair-runs-afoul-of-copyright-law [npr.org]
In the automotive world, this may well affect any of us here. I don't think Soylentil is afraid of computers. The shop may want two arms and three legs to fix some problem, because the shop had to pay 200 arms and 300 legs for the computer and the license to go with it. But, people like us don't have to do all that - we can just walk out in the driveway, and start tinkering. Kinda like in the old days, when I was a kid.
The right to repair is maybe not the "most important" part of ownership, but if you are deprived of that right, then you can never claim to own anything.
Alternative für Deutschland
(Score: 3, Interesting) by sjames on Friday October 26 2018, @06:20PM (11 children)
Part of that is simply that you've already been boiled. You don't see it because you're well trained to just throw things away. The once cutting edge cellphone now 5 years old is a perfectly good entry level phone if it gets a new battery and a firmware upgrade. The rabid gamer rig after 5 years is still good for the kids and the kids' last PC is fine for grandma.
There's not much more point in new major appliances if the old ones can be restored to function like they did when new. I personally don't give a crap about starting my dryer from my cellphone since I have to be physically present to put clothes in it in the first place. I'm not sure what the point is of watching TV on the fridge.
Of course, as others have pointed out, cars, trucks, and tractors are the big one. Whoever decided that headlights should need to be "introduced" to the car using dealer-only software should be publicly flogged till dead.
(Score: 2, Insightful) by bzipitidoo on Friday October 26 2018, @07:08PM (10 children)
Funny you should mention the clothes dryer. That appliance is one of the top ones I roast for being an especially stupid waste of energy and money. Clothes dry just fine on a line or a rack.
But the way most people carry on about clothes dryers is like Princess Vespa in Spaceballs: "My Industrial Strength hair dryer. And I can't live without it!" Drying clothes on a line is so low class! And it's slower. And the clothes aren't as soft. And stuff might get on the clothes while drying.
(Score: 2) by sjames on Friday October 26 2018, @09:26PM (8 children)
That depends on circumstances. For example, line drying doesn't work well on rainy days. It doesn't work when it's well below freezing. It may be a bad idea during pollen season.
At the same time, I do tend to just hang my shirts on the shower curtain rod.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday October 26 2018, @11:01PM
I've done that very thing for years.
Despite what the ad-heads said about it.
This
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(Score: 2) by c0lo on Saturday October 27 2018, @01:17AM (6 children)
Except it does.
It just takes longer - you can speed it up by lowering the pressure as in freeze-drying but it works at normal atm pressure anyway.
https://www.youtube.com/@ProfSteveKeen https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday October 27 2018, @02:33AM (2 children)
Real Tibetan Buddhist monks just dry their clothes with body heat--
https://www.nytimes.com/1982/02/09/science/science-watch-heat-from-meditation.html [nytimes.com]
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Saturday October 27 2018, @04:30AM (1 child)
Yeah, well, I don't think all the western civilisation population can be fit in Tibet.
https://www.youtube.com/@ProfSteveKeen https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday October 27 2018, @08:49AM
Too many Chinese soldiers there.
(Score: 2) by sjames on Saturday October 27 2018, @10:58AM (2 children)
That can take quite a long time. Long enough that it's more in the realm of the theoretical rather than the practical.
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Saturday October 27 2018, @12:35PM (1 child)
Surprisingly, only after 3 days at and below -8C, you bring them inside, let them get to the room temperature and you can iron them directly.
Under such conditions, the humidity of the air is very low in comparison with the cloths - will not work in a freezer (limited amount of air and no breeze) but it will work outside.
https://www.youtube.com/@ProfSteveKeen https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 2) by sjames on Saturday October 27 2018, @01:11PM
Yes, after 3 days. Or I can have my clothes in under an hour in the dryer.
It will work less well if you have a morning frost.
(Score: 1) by DeVilla on Saturday October 27 2018, @03:37PM
In some northern boarder states, there are only so many days of the year you could dry clothes out on the line thanks to snow or humidity. (Sure, ice is "dry", but you can't wear it.) I could have a smallish box for drying clothes or dedicate a room to clothes lines and space heaters. The family could use that room for other things.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by beckett on Friday October 26 2018, @07:53PM
In 2018, I'm not replacing my devices at the same intervals as i did in 2000-2007.
Otoh, 2018 devices are far less repairable than they were in 2000.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Bot on Friday October 26 2018, @05:03PM
The title only to piss off the voters of a certain Nobel fucking Prize winner who couldn't come with this in two mandates.
It would have been more clear cut and fair, if DRM were considered a defect, and you could have your money back on the discovery of the intentionally placed defect.
It would mean you couldn't sell but only RENT stuff that it isn't yours or risk the customers screwing you. In case of renting, you pay for the service and the repair is on the guy. I am sure intentional breakage can be easily taken care of with an accelerometer and sealing stuff.
All of this to return to the normal and LEGAL concept of ownership.
Account abandoned.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday October 27 2018, @09:45AM (1 child)
Some of Your Kit
in certain circumstances
noninfringing uses
certain classes
such works
Yeah I noticed that looks like a doge meme limerick!
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday October 27 2018, @10:36PM
A haiku, written as businesstalk.