Good stuff, as the article mentions, California’s big population means its legislation typically has some effect nationwide too. But I can’t help feeling like there’s something I’m missing here, since Apple of all companies supported this bill. I wonder if they’re trying to get good PR after their notorious reputation, or is there a loophole somewhere?
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iFixit noted yesterday, “Though the bill is strong and should make repairs more available for everyone, it allows manufacturers to continue to engage in parts pairing, a practice by which they limit repairs with software blocks. They can also combine parts into expensive assemblies, which makes repairs more expensive.”
Similarly doubt there’s any way to legislate against the dismal engineering that tempts a failure avalanche like the Ford F150 taillight horrorshow I posted a few days ago.
This has been the issue with similar laws for automotive parts. Technically by law they have to make parts available for 10 years iirc. However, they don’t have to make them affordable.
They might think that it’s comparatively easy for them to comply, giving them an advantage over other manufacturers who may not be able to guarantee a parts supply that long.
This is the best summary I could come up with:
However, the California bill stands out in that it requires companies to expand access to repair materials like parts, tools, documentation, and software for a longer period of time.
“We’re especially thrilled to see this bill pass in the state where iFixit is headquartered, which also happens to be Big Tech’s backyard.
Another notable factor: Apple made waves last month when it announced it was throwing its support behind California’s right-to-repair act in a letter to Senator Susan Talamantes Eggman, who authored the bill.
Apple also highlighted that its new iPhone 15 Pro’s titanium chassis makes it more repairable at its Wonderlust event on September 12th, hours before SB 244 passed California’s state Assembly.
“That’s good news, because as important as this legislation is, we have more to do if we want a more sustainable relationship with the electronics that power our modern lives.”
New York’s right-to-repair bill, for example, heavily disappointed activists after it was significantly weakened due to last-minute amendments that conceded convenient loopholes to manufacturers.
The original article contains 508 words, the summary contains 168 words. Saved 67%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!
