Earlier this month, Congressman Joe Morelle, representing the 25th District of New York, introduced legislation to guarantee consumers and small businesses a right to repair.
The Fair Repair Act will require OEMs to make diagnostic and repair information, parts, and tools available to third-party repairers and owners in a timely manner and on fair and reasonable terms, helping consumers and repair shops to avoid unnecessary and costly delays while also reducing waste.
This bill allows for the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to penalise those who violate these provisions through civil penalties including payment of damages, reformation of contracts, and refund of money or property. It also empowers the FTC to promulgate any rules or regulations necessary to carry out these enforcement duties. The Fair Repair Act authorises state attorneys general to enforce the bill’s provisions as well.
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.”
Congressman Joe Morelle has been a long-term supporter of reuse and remanufacturing. In the early 1990’s with Lester Cornelius and Tricia Judge was in the thick of the opposition against Lexmark’s Prebate programme. Tracey Drury at Business First has a great read up from 1998 here.
