California's SB 983, the "Right to Repair" bill, dies in committee

[Auggie]

San Francisco Chronicle / May 24, 2022

... The legislative bill, which would have been the first of its kind in the United States, would have required makers of electronic gear such as cell phones, game consoles, washers and dryers, computers — almost anything with a chip inside — to ease the route to fixing broken stuff by providing parts, tools and manuals at reasonable prices.

Supporters pitched it as a no-brainer to save consumers money and reduce e-waste. But the electronics industry says that it could have created a free-for-all, allowing pirates to flourish, unauthorized people to access sensitive information and trade secrets to be violated.

SNIP

“Consumers right now are locked out of fixing everything from their smartphone to their refrigerator,” said Kevin O’Reilly, a Right to Repair campaign director with U.S. Public Interest Research Group, or PIRG. He’s also associated with CALPIRG.

O’Reilly’s view: Manufacturers have a vested interest in making it hard to fix stuff. They can charge “an arm and a leg” for repairs and use those high costs to entice consumers into buying shiny new devices.

Link (paywall): https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/Broken-laptop-How-California-s-right-to-repair-17185453.php

Highlights from the link:

• Though California’s bill failed, other states are pursuing similar legislation and there’s also a pending federal bill.

• O’Reilly: “Apple and Google and other tech giants have either lobbied against the bill or supported organizations that lobbied against the bill.”

• According to the Entertainment Software Association, (Mandates to provide manuals and tools) “present unique security and piracy risks to the video game ecosystem” and that right to repair could open the floodgates for illegal copying of video games (which can cost as much to produce as blockbuster movies).

• Right-to-repair advocates point to a green aspect: Reducing the throwaway culture.

• O’Reilly: “California households produce 1.1 million tons of e-waste each year. E-waste leaches toxic chemicals into the environment. E-wastes is 2% of the waste stream but 70% of its toxicity.”

• CALPIRG: California households can save $4.3 billion per year by opting for repair rather than replacement of certain household goods

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This fight is not over, according to the link, but it'll have to wait until a new legislation session next year.