Digital Right to Repair Coalition

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= "We are working to pass Fair Repair legislation at the state level, so that every consumer and every small business has access to the parts, tools, and service information they need".

URL = https://repair.org/

Description

"The problems of monopolized repair are not new, the legislative solutions are not new, but our organization is relatively new.

Our organization dates back on July of 2013 when several trade associations representing repair and resale businesses joined forces to create the Digital Right to Repair Coalition - a New Jersey 501 (c) 6 non-profit corporation.

Early origins:

Manufacturers have had the incentive to monopolize repair since the dawn of the computer era. As early as 1956 IBM was found in contempt of anti-monopoly laws, and was forced to allow a market for used equipment and independent repair in the form of the 1956 Consent Decree. Repair became an openly competitive business which has been the norm for the computer industry until roughly 1996 - when the Consent Decree was completely lifted. Independent repair of computers has been in steady decline ever since.

Many types of equipment not technically considered "computers" have imitated the recent practices of the computer industry to monopolize repair. These industries usually have internal computer components, such as medical equipment, cell phones, ATMs, TVs,, Major appliances, Small Appliances, and more.

Separately, and without any obvious linkage, the auto industry also discovered the advantages of using the presence of computers to monopolize repair. Repair of cars became limited exclusively to "Dealers" - creating a false mystery surrounding repair and forcing consumers to cease doing their own repairs or using local (and fully competent) mechanics. By 2002 aftermarket automotive businesses - from local repair mechanics to parts stores to tool vendors were suffering the pinch. They began pressing for Automotive Right to Repair in Congress - where is went nowhere. The aftermarket auto industry wisely pivoted to state action -- where in 2012 they were able to pass the first Automotive Right to Repair Law in the country." (https://repair.org/history/)