New Technology World

WASHINGTON, DC – On Wednesday, the head of Broadview Heights, which supplies and services agricultural and construction equipment, told a subcommittee of the U.S. House of Representatives that the “Right to Repair” initiative under consideration in Congress and across the country will help reduce heavy equipment. warned that it could jeopardize the safe operation of Equipment repaired by a do-it-yourselfer.

Ken Taylor, president of Ohio Machinery Co., is part of the Small Business Commission, and his subcommittee on underserved, agricultural, and rural business development has supported him and related equipment distributors. trade group members said they support customers’ limited production rights as chairman. Repair of owned equipment.

However, they oppose “unrestricted access to critical on-board software and information related to environmental and safety protection or key operational functions, as proposed by various states and legislatures.” That’s it,” said Taylor.

From mobile phones to automobiles to agricultural machinery to medical equipment, products are becoming more complex, requiring specialized tools, proprietary diagnostic software to repair them, and hard-to-find parts is often required. As explained in a 2021 Federal Trade Commission report, protests against some manufacturers restricting access to repair tools were intended to give consumers more repair options. This led to the introduction of the “right to repair” law.

“Right-to-repair advocates tout the environmental benefits of having customers repair their own products so they don’t have to throw them out right away,” Taylor testified. “But heavy equipment is the most durable product on the market. Oftentimes, equipment is sold to customers, traded in when customers buy new machines, and then resold or traded in. Improper maintenance or modification in connection with granting unfettered access to the source code will jeopardize the operation and life of the machine, adversely affect the environment and safety, and shorten its production life. There is a possibility.”

He said many of the right-to-repair proposals before Congress would require original equipment manufacturers to sell parts and diagnostic tools directly to the public without profit, potentially putting equipment dealers out of business. Although there are currently no restrictions on who can purchase parts to repair the equipment his company sells, equipment dealers may hold inventories of parts if they do not make a profit from the sale of the parts. There will be no incentive.

“It’s a right for the equipment industry to look for problems and fix suggestions or solutions,” said Taylor.

Other witnesses at the hearing disagreed.

Gay Gordon-Byrne, executive director of the Digital Right to Repair Coalition, told the committee that about 90% of the products on the market today are “repair monopoly”, leaving the manufacturer as the only option for repair. , and the small business that used it said it offers home appliance repair services. , computers, cameras, automobiles, and consumer electronics were “pushed out of business by manufacturers who refused to sell or provide normal service materials to anything other than authorized subcontractors”. It said it was particularly noticeable in rural areas where customers could take hours to reach a repair facility that was damaged.

Gordon Byrne told the subcommittee that “fixing a computerized gadget that is different than it was 20 years ago is nothing but policy.” “Repair is also a gateway policy that supports a functional second-hand market. If we can fix ours, we can maintain value across multiple users. It reduces the value of the raw materials that can be recovered in the process.”

She said states can require manufacturers to sell parts and tools to consumers, but only Congress can prevent copyright and patent laws from being used to interfere with repair rights. Said it was only

“Our legislative intent is to allow competition in the repair business as a fundamental requirement to support the right of equipment owners to control their property,” she said.

Several federal laws aimed at limiting repair limits have been introduced. Those aimed at the automotive industry prohibit automakers from blocking access to owner diagnostic information, or prevent aftermarket parts manufacturers from producing or offering compatible aftermarket parts. The FTC will also be empowered to establish a commission to assess and report on existing and new barriers to vehicle repair.

Another bill before Congress would amend outdated copyright laws banning certain types of repairs and repair tools, such as bypassing digital security locks, and a third would amend diagnostic, maintenance, and repair equipment. to independent repairers on fair and reasonable terms. .

The subcommittee chairman and Maine Democrat, Jared Golden, said it will “continue to look into the repair limit, which is a major headache for consumers.”

“By securing the right to repair, we can increase competition in various industries,” says Golden. “Today’s hearing will address ongoing policies that will help protect the rights of consumers and small businesses to repair products they currently own and prevent manufacturers from having an excessive monopoly on repairs. We hope that it will serve as a starting point for conversations.”