Monopolists are slowly destroying society as we know it, when will this be addressed? Do we need to go out in the streets?<p>This is a real gem from the article:<p>"In 2014, a pair of American political scientists published a groundbreaking peer-reviewed paper analyzing 30 years' worth of US policy-making that compared policy outcomes to public polling results.<p><a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/perspectives-on-politics/article/testing-theories-of-american-politics-elites-interest-groups-and-average-citizens/62327F513959D0A304D4893B382B992B#authors-details" rel="nofollow">https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/perspectives-on-poli...</a><p>They concluded that general public sentiment had almost no impact on US policy making – but the political preferences of wealthy people and large corporations were hugely predictive of what laws and regulations we'd get."
I recently switched to iPhone from samsung because I was tired of samsung ads and only 2 years of OS updates.<p>However, Apple really rubs me the wrong way when it comes RTR. Recently, I tried replacing my wifes scratched screen on her iphone. I purchased an OEM refurbished screen. I was able to replace the screen and then was greeted with a message saying, the screen is not original. I would prefer to buy an original screen and replace myself but I cannot. It isn't rocket science, but manufacturers make it seem like it is extremely difficult.<p>Also, I would never purchase a Tesla. Obtaining parts is extremely difficult or impossible. They blacklist cars from supercharging network etc.<p>If you want to rebuild a crashed Tesla, you are better off getting a 2nd car for parts.<p>Every single product should come with a manual with all the part numbers, and manufacturers should be forced to have those parts or produce them for a certain period of time. However, this isn't as profitable as selling something new every few years and servicing it through a manufacturers repair center.<p>If no action is taken against Tesla and Apple, other companies will follow as they are leaving money on the table.
Some quick misconceptions I want to get out in front of:<p>- Right to Repair is NOT about asking people to repair their own devices. Customers should be able to repair their own devices, but they should also have the options to purchase new devices or seek repair services from a third party.<p>- Right to Repair is NOT just about a few companies. Most major manufacturers in most industries fight against consumers being allowed to repair their devices or seek repair from an independent third party.<p>- Right to Repair is NOT about making manufactures re-design products to be easier to repair. The onus is on owners and independent repair providers to acquire the equipment and skills required to perform repairs. Right to Repair seeks to protect owners and independent repair providers from legal recourse for repairing a devices.<p>- Right to Repair is NOT about making manufacturers provide parts or repair services. It seeks to protect consumers and independent repair providers from legal recourse for distributing parts and schematics essential to support repairs. Those parts and schematics may be purchased from the manufacturer, purchased from a third party supplier, developed independently, or sourced from used devices.<p>- Right to Repair is NOT a partisan issue. Neither the Democrat nor Republican party have strong stances on the subject and lawmakers on both sides have objected and supported it.<p>- We do not currently have Right to Repair just because independent repair shops still exist. Most shops in the US/Europe can only offer very limited services due to the existing legal landscape. Some of them have to perform questionable or even outright illegal actions to secure the parts and schematics necessary to facilitate all but the simplest of repairs. Right to Repair seeks to undo this problem by granting legal protection for repairs.<p>- Authorized repair programs (ARPs) are not a substitute for Right to Repair. Such programs do not exist for the benefit of device owners. The FTC has found no evidence that ARPs improve quality or safety of repairs[0]. ARPs usually put cumbersome restrictions on independent repair providers in exchange for meager parts catalogs at exorbitant markups. They exist to extract money and control from independent repair providers and encourage consumers to seek alternative services or replacements directly from the manufacturer.<p>[0] <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/documents/reports/nixing-fix-ftc-report-congress-repair-restrictions/nixing_the_fix_report_final_5521_630pm-508_002.pdf" rel="nofollow">https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/documents/reports/nixing-fi...</a>
I think something like the automotive market would be a huge step, you can buy a part from Ford or GM and even if it’s something that need programming you can pay a small fee ($40 per VIN valid for 2 years for GM) and program it yourself with any J2534 compliant VCI, you can also pay to access technical info like wiring diagrams and TSBs however if you want to repair an electronic device you have to resort to fake/ stolen/ refurbished parts pirated schematics and shady software tools.