President Biden Signed Executive Order On Right To Repair
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Never thought I’d see the day of living in a 1985 dystopian science fiction film, Brazil, until I heard about the plight of Mr. Louis Rossmann. Fortunately, there is a happier ending in the 2021 version. First, allow me to share a clip from the movie Brazil to help clarify the situation, in the video published on May 27, 2011, “Brazil (3/10) Movie CLIP – Harry Tuttle, Heating Engineer (1985) HD“, below:
It is interesting to find out that the COVID-19 pandemic managed to have helped the Right To Repair movement.
For better understanding of the relationship between COVID-19 pandemic and the Right To Repair movement, please refer to the excerpt from wikipedia, in italics, below:
The right to repair electronics refers to proposed government legislation that would allow consumers the ability to repair and modify their own consumer electronic devices, where otherwise the manufacturer of such devices requires the consumer to use only their offered services. While a global concern, the primary debate over the issue has been centered on the United States and within the European Union.[1]
In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, where medical equipment became critical for many hospitals, iFixit and CalPIRG, the California branch of the Public Interest Research Group, worked to publish the largest known collection of manuals and service guides for medical equipment, using information from hospitals and medical institutions when manufacturers’ direct information was not available, to make sure such equipment could be serviced quickly during the pandemic. iFixit had found, like with consumer electronics, some of the more expensive medical equipment had used means to make non-routine servicing difficult for end-users and requiring authorized repair processes, which during the emergency conditions of the pandemic was not acceptable.[44]
On August 6, 2020, senator Ron Wyden and representative Yvette Clarke introduced the Critical Medical Infrastructure Right-to-Repair Act of 2020 (S. 4473, H.R. 7956,text) which focuses on preventing health professionals from being liable to copyright law when attempting to repair devices that would make it easier for “COVID-19 aid.”[45][46]
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued a report “Nixing the Fix” in May 2021 to Congress, outlining issues around corporations’ policies that limit repairs on consumer goods that it considered in violation of trade laws, and outlined steps that could be done to better enforce this. This included self-regulation by the industries involved, as well as expansion of existing laws such as the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act or new laws to give the FTC better enforcement to protect consumers from overzealous repair restrictions.[47][48] On July 9, 2021, President Joe Biden signed Executive Order 14036, “Promoting Competition in the American Economy”, a sweeping array of initiatives across the executive branch. Among them included instructions to the FTC to craft rules to prevent manufacturers from preventing repairs performed by owners or independent repair shops.[49][50] About two weeks after the EO was issued, the FTC make a unanimous vote to enforce the right to repair as policy and will look to take action against companies that limit the type of repair work that can be done at independent repair shops.[51]
Those of you who have seen Louis Rossmann’s youtube channel would have known how serious and passionate Mr. Rossmann had been in drawing attention to and being a supporter of Electronic Right To Repair movement.
For more on the history and background information about The Right To Repair, please click HERE.
For better understanding of Right To Repair or Electronic Right To Repair movement, please view videos below:
In the video published on July 9, 2021, “BIDEN SIGNS EXECUTIVE ORDER ON RIGHT TO REPAIR!“, below:
In the video published on March 4, 2020, “What is Right to Repair? An introduction for curious people.“, below:
In the video published on April 10, 2021, “American Conservative covers Right To Repair and NAILS it!“, below:
In the video published on July 7, 2021, “Steve Wozniak speaks on Right to Repair“, below:
In the video published on March 27, 2020, “The best Right to Repair testimony in Maryland came from a 16 year old“, below:
In the video published on July 31, 2020, “Apple’s internal conflicts on right to repair have begun“, below:
In the video published on March 20, 2020, “John Deere employee responds to Right to Repair“, below:
May the Right To Repair movement continues to win more battles, for in light of the pandemic, finite amount of resources availed to earthlings, and climate change, we earthlings need to learn more and better ways to reuse, recycle, and to reduce waste. Perhaps Federal Trade Commission would benefit from Mr. Louis Rossmann’s expertise and may develop a mutually beneficial relationship with him.
Gathered, written, and posted by Windermere Sun-Susan Sun Nunamaker
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