SoylentNews is people
SoylentNews
https://www.engadget.com/2227720/eu-right-to-repair-directive-kicks-in-today/
July 31, 2026 marks the start of a new era for the Right to Repair movement, at least for citizens in the European Union. It's the deadline for when the bloc's directive on repairs goes live for its 27 member nations. And while today is more of a political and procedural milestone than a practical one, it opens the door for major changes in how people maintain their hardware. It's all part of the bloc's push for a fairer, and more sustainable economy.
Essentially, the directive requires manufacturers to offer repairs for faulty products within a "reasonable time" and "at a reasonable price." Manufacturers will also need to publish repair manuals — for free — and offer clear pricing for spare parts. If a piece of equipment is repaired, then buyers will also be able to have their legal warranty period extended for an additional year.
At present, the rules cover repairs for major household appliances, such as washing machines, dryers, dishwashers and refrigerators. On the technology side, the rules apply to smartphones, tablets, server equipment, as well as e-bikes and e-scooters. A notable admission from the list is vacuum cleaners, which will get its own separate framework at some point down the line.
At the time of publication, there are still plenty of member states that haven't yet incorporated the directive into their domestic law. It's likely we'll still be waiting several months before we start seeing meaningful changes in how repairs are handled. Not to mention that this is a separate initiative from the removable battery laws — which will see the sale of a more repairable version of the Switch 2 — which are due to kick in next year.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by isostatic on Monday August 03, @09:49PM (1 child)
So you are saying that the manufacturer has to produce the manual anyway, because somebody will buy it.
The incremental costs of distributing the manual are zero. Like literally zero -- just release it as public domain or creative commons or similar.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by anubi on Monday August 03, @10:45PM
They can just support these folks who specialize in manuals.
https://www.manualslib.com/ [manualslib.com]
I don't think anyone wants to foist unnecessary costs onto a business.
Just make the repair docs public and shareable. Post your originals on your site.
I am disappointed in HP. They used to post all their service packs ( mostly drivers ) online to support legacy products. I felt comfortable buying HP for that reason. They took them down. For a while, several Russian FTP sites continued to distribute copies. Those got taken down too.
Amazon can warehouse and do all the logistics. They are really good at that.
Personally, I would like to revoke copyright and patent when support is revoked . Wasn't patent and copyright intended to support ongoing business models anyway? Not as a punitive model to have government enforce no one else do anything.
As Grandpa used to say: "Either shit, or get off the pot!".
"Prove all things; hold fast that which is good." [KJV: I Thessalonians 5:21]