On 3 June, the New York State Senate passed a bill, titled “Digital Fair Repair Act”, which relates to the sale of digital electronic equipment; requires original equipment manufacturers to provide diagnostic and repair information.
This bill requires OEMs to make diagnostic and repair information for digital electronic parts and equipment available to independent repair providers and consumers if such parts and repair information are also available to OEM authorised repair providers, by middle of 2023.
Ifixit commented that “For independent repair shops, this news is huge: Independent shops will finally be able to compete with manufacturers, resisting the repair market consolidation manufacturers have created by restricting access to parts and tools. In a recent California survey, 59% of independent repair shops said they might have to close their doors without the passage of Right to Repair.“
This is a great step for New York consumers, and there is hope that this Right to Repair movement will move beyond New York and include more categories like home appliances etc.
In June 2021, Congressman Joe Morelle, representing the 25th District of New York, introduced legislation (the Fair Repair Act) to guarantee consumers and small businesses a right to repair their own products by requiring manufacturers to make diagnostic repair information, parts, and tools readily available.
At the time, Javier Martinez, President of ETIRA, said: “ETIRA is very pleased to see the US Congressman introducing the Fair Repair Act.
“We represent inkjet and toner cartridge remanufacturers across the EU and have been lobbying the EU for a right to repair for many years now. The recent EU Green Deal should deliver a compulsory Right to Repair, and the EU’s Sustainable Product policy should ensure that products are designed in such a way that they can be easily reused (eco-design). Cartridges are textbook products for repair, but original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) use many ways to block reuse.
“The Fair Repair Act will mean that businesses and consumers will no longer be held hostage by the OEM and will have the right to repair their own products.
“This is a very important Bill that will help to reduce waste and lower prices for repair in the USA, and we fully support this and hope that the EU will take steps to improve regulations for remanufacturers across the EU.”
Our take on this: It remains to be seen how this will be implemented or policed. The OEMs see the reuse or repair market as a small opportunity and show little interest in getting involved since their main aim is still to sell new machines. Once implemented hopefully it will become second nature to the OEM to produce items with longevity and repairability at the heart of new technology.
