Five U.S. states have passed the "Right to Repair" bills for electronic devices. The move is a huge win for consumers but a loss to some manufacturers such as Apple, which does not authorize many repair shops to fix iPhones.
"Right to Repair" challenges the "authorized repair" model of numerous tech companies, and comprises not just smartphones but other devices with software, Motherboard reported. These manufacturers only allow a select few of technicians and repair shops to fix damaged devices under warranty. With this, companies get to do business with consumers directly and reap the in-house repairs' cash financial benefits.
In Apple's case, users with broken iPhones cannot have their devices fixed by third-party services. There are plenty of repair shops that offer solutions for iPhone and iPad problems but they don't have Apple's authorization program, meaning they acquire the parts they use for repair from the grey market. Those parts are either recycled or counterfeit.
The "Right to Repair" bills have been passed in New York, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Kansas and Nebraska, Apple Insider listed. Though the bills have the potential to negatively affect tech giants' cash flow, they also have several positive effects.
"Right to Repair" will force companies such as Apple to publish diagnostic manuals that are not easily accessible by the public. Official instructions for repairs and acquiring legitimate components supplied by electronic manufacturers could mean higher customer satisfaction because the repair store has lesser chances of committing a mistake. Even customers can now fix their own devices by referring to those service manuals.
Legislators of "Right to Repair" New York bill also argued that the move will lead to positive environmental effects. They believe that the bills will lessen the "large amount of electronic waste created by the inability to affordably repair broken electronics."
"Right to Repair" can also be the solution to "inflated, high repair prices." The bills will be voted in early summer and if one of the bills becomes law, there's a huge possibility that other states will follow through.
"Right to Repair" was based on the Motor Vehicle Owners' Right to Repair Act, which was passed in Massachusetts in 2012. Automobile manufacturers are required to provide repair assistance and information to both independent repair shops and dealers.
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