"Right to Repair" - Potentially great news for DIY!

[lowwall]

Not quite. The President is asking the relevant section of the executive branch to come up with potential new rules or regulations under existing laws.

https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/do...g_the_fix_report_final_5521_630pm-508_002.pdf

To address unlawful repair restrictions, the FTC will pursue appropriate law enforcement
and regulatory options, as well as consumer education, consistent with our statutory authority.
The Commission also stands ready to work with legislators, either at the state or federal level, in
order to ensure that consumers have choices when they need to repair products that they
purchase and own.

This thread and my post is about President Biden's Executive Order: Promoting Competition in the American Economy. You are quoting an FTC report to Congress released in May, not the Executive Order. I have already posted the relevant sections of the Order in this thread. Here it is again. I believe I have correctly characterized this section.

(h) To address persistent and recurrent practices that inhibit competition, the Chair of the FTC, in the Chair's discretion, is also encouraged to consider working with the rest of the Commission to exercise the FTC's statutory rulemaking authority, as appropriate and consistent with applicable law, in areas such as:
...

(ii) unfair anticompetitive restrictions on third-party repair or self-repair of items, such as the restrictions imposed by powerful manufacturers that prevent farmers from repairing their own equipment;

 

[greeniguana]

This thread and my post is about President Biden's Executive Order: Promoting Competition in the American Economy. You are quoting an FTC report to Congress released in May, not the Executive Order. I have already posted the relevant sections of the Order in this thread. Here it is again. I believe I have correctly characterized this section.

(h) To address persistent and recurrent practices that inhibit competition, the Chair of the FTC, in the Chair's discretion, is also encouraged to consider working with the rest of the Commission to exercise the FTC's statutory rulemaking authority, as appropriate and consistent with applicable law, in areas such as:
...

(ii) unfair anticompetitive restrictions on third-party repair or self-repair of items, such as the restrictions imposed by powerful manufacturers that prevent farmers from repairing their own equipment;

I know what I'm quoting. I'm not an idiot. At the request of others, I'm posting "more information" so that people can read for themselves more of the arguments. Both sides. Read being the key word. I quoted the conclusion of the report because I know people won't read it all. Delete it, or read it I don't care.

 

[SlugLife]

It's hard to really determine whether this will be good or bad, because we don't have the actual text yet of any law or regulation.

I'm pretty certain to be of any use to consumers would require legislative action. I don't know of any cases where you can use an executive-order as the legal-basis for a civil lawsuit. If the executive-order is just giving or suggesting regulatory-agencies more power, than it's up to those regulatory agencies when they choose to, or not to enforce it, and then courts to determine whether that power is even constitutional in the first place.

• I think there's a good case for very specific laws, addressing obstacles manufacturers intentionally place in front of customers, in a way it's sabotaging products sold to consumers which is potentially close to fraud.
• Obligating producers to engage in proactive actions, is a massive vector for abuse.

Usually, it's the small manufacturers and producers who get hit the hardest by these types of regulations if written poorly. The big companies have an economy-of-scale to work with, and can easily afford all the lawyers necessary, and can absorb the occasional fines. They can (and often do) weaponize these kinds of regulations against their startup competitors.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

Usually, it's the small manufacturers and producers who get hit the hardest by these types of regulations if written poorly. The big companies have an economy-of-scale to work with, and can easily afford all the lawyers necessary, and can absorb the occasional fines. They can (and often do) weaponize these kinds of regulations against their startup competitors.

One of my EE professors gave up trying to enforce her patents as large companies had legal war chests and just drained her finances.

 

[greeniguana]

Reference FL SB374 and H0511, language that didn't pass.

House Bill 511 (2021) - The Florida Senate

Didn't seem overly broad to me. The sponsor is a big FL ag guy, and FL is a huge ag state.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

Yes. That's a great way to boil it down. Thanks.

So if you agree that a line exists to where the government interferes/regulates some things that corporations do, then you cannot disregard people's preference for DIY (or hire someone else to perform) repair, especially in cases where the manufacturers of products fail to meet their needs. It isn't as simple as buying a tractor from someone else.

 

[greeniguana]

So if you agree that a line exists to where the government interferes/regulates some things that corporations do, then you cannot disregard people's preference for DIY (or hire someone else to perform) repair, especially in cases where the manufacturers of products fail to meet their needs. It isn't as simple as buying a tractor from someone else.

Is this a question, or a statement?

I thought you quit and left.

 

[The Ruttmeister]

One of my EE professors gave up trying to enforce her patents as large companies had legal war chests and just drained her finances.

If the patent is solid, sell or rent it to a patent investment firm. They specialize in suing people for patent violations.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

If the patent is solid, sell or rent it to a patent investment firm. They specialize in suing people for patent violations.

This was the early 90s. I don't think such firms existed back then.

Is this a question, or a statement?

Two statements, first one more of a question.

I thought you quit and left.

Sometimes I'll reengage when I see a semblance of being reasonable. I realize now I didn't see what I thought I saw.

 

[Compressor]

Realigning the thread (to help the newcomer) and asking @rsingler a question since he obviously knows so much about regulators especially SP (scubapro) regs:
How many specialized tools does one need to overhaul/service a piston/balanced SP 1st stage regulator?
How many specialized tools does one need to overhaul/service a piston SP 2nd stage regulator?

Do you think the training can be done online? As we know, COVID is not over.

Thank you.