20% of US Gets Repair Rights

- The roots of the movement trace back to the 1980s and 90s, when auto manufacturers began restricting access to the tools and information needed for independent repairs. This led to early legislation, such as a 2012 Massachusetts law for automobiles, which later formed the basis for an agreement covering all 50 states for cars made in 2018 or later. - Major tech companies, including Apple and Verizon, have lobbied against these bills, citing concerns over consumer safety, data security, and the protection of their intellectual property. Industry trade groups have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on lobbying efforts in states like New York to oppose fair repair legislation. - The issue has significantly impacted the agricultural sector, with farmers facing challenges in repairing their own equipment. Lawsuits have been filed against companies like John Deere, alleging they have monopolized the repair market by withholding necessary software and tools from farmers and independent mechanics. - New York's Digital Fair Repair Act, which took effect in 2023, was a landmark piece of legislation for electronics, requiring manufacturers to make parts, tools, and information available to consumers and independent repair shops. However, the final version of the bill included some last-minute changes and exemptions following industry lobbying. - Following New York, states like California, Minnesota, Colorado, and Oregon have passed their own comprehensive right-to-repair laws for electronics. As of early 2025, all 50 states have introduced some form of right-to-repair legislation. - Some of the newer state laws, such as those in Oregon and Colorado, have gone a step further by banning the practice of "parts pairing," where manufacturers use software to prevent the use of third-party components. - At the federal level, President Joe Biden issued an executive order in 2021 encouraging the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to address unfair anti-competitive restrictions on repair. Bipartisan legislation, like the REPAIR Act, has also been introduced in Congress to address vehicle repair data access. - The United States is part of a global movement, with the European Union finalizing a sweeping Right to Repair directive in 2024 that will become law in all EU countries by July 2026. This directive requires manufacturers to provide repairs beyond the warranty period and ensure the availability of spare parts for years after a product is discontinued.