The Emperor Has New Clothes
We have now shepherded five state laws to completion, with more underway. Each victory brings us closer to a world where consumers truly own their devices. Yet, along the way, we’ve repeatedly encountered the high-tech equivalent of naked emperors—manufacturers proclaiming their products are so complex, so thin, and so marvelous that only the smartest people can appreciate their quality. The rest of us are expected to bow down and relinquish our rights to control the property we have purchased.
Too Complex
Tech products are indeed complex, but repair doesn’t have to be. If manufacturers choose to offer any form of repair, it can be straightforward. OEMs plan ahead for how they will market their products, whether with or without warranties or service programs. They always ensure that spare parts and service technicians can make quick and inexpensive repairs, which argues against complexity. Remember, complexity is often a deliberate choice to maintain control, not an inherent necessity.
Too Thin
Thin is a marketing choice. Products designed with trade-offs on accessibility for repair reflect the OEM’s priorities, not consumer needs. Legislation here in the U.S. does not demand design changes of any kind; it merely seeks to ensure consumers can repair what they own. If thinness compromises repairability, that’s a choice the OEM has made, not a legislative requirement.
Too Marvelous
“Marvelous” is in the eye of the beholder, or in this case, the buyer. Once purchased, the buyer alone gets to decide how they want to use, modify, customize, or even damage their possibly marvelous property. Anything that is too marvelous to be sold can be licensed or rented. Transfer of ownership is a revenue option, not a requirement. Consumers deserve the right to control their property, however marvelous it may be.
Too Dangerous
OEMs are responsible for making their products safe to use, or they expose themselves to costly personal injury litigation. Repair technicians hired by the OEM can just as easily be hurt by a dangerous product, so OEMs have an incentive to make their products safe to repair and use. If batteries or chargers are unsafe, that is a problem of design, not repair. Safe design should be a baseline expectation, not an excuse to block repairs.
Too Risky
OEMs are responsible for how they design their products for use in an internet-connected world. It is their software that provides cybersecurity. OEMs know that repair technicians will need to replace failed parts without breaching their own product security features. Therefore, repair technicians are not provided with security back doors willy-nilly. The risk is in poor design, not in the act of repair.
Too Special
A variant of the “too marvelous” claim—OEMs proclaim that their uniquely special products should be sold on unfair and deceptive terms. State laws are designed to ensure that buyers can still repair their purchases, even if the original terms of the purchase agreement force buyers to eschew repair. The uniqueness of a product should not be a barrier to repair; it should be a testament to its value and longevity.
The Role of Advocacy
The Repair Association has been at the forefront of these legislative victories, but our work is far from done. We continue to advocate for consumers’ right to repair, ensuring that manufacturers cannot hide behind false claims of complexity or safety. Your support is crucial—contact your legislators, become a member, and spread the word.
Join us in the fight for your rights. Share this post, talk to your friends and family about the importance of repairability, and let your representatives know that you demand the right to repair what you own. Together, we can dismantle the façade of the naked emperors and reclaim our rights as consumers.