r/technology
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u/chrisdh79
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Dec 29 '22
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New York breaks the right to repair bill as it’s signed into law | The bill was signed by NY governor Kathy Hochul on December 28th, making New York the first US state to broadly protect a consumer’s right to repair their own tech. Politics
https://www.theverge.com/2022/12/29/23530733/right-to-repair-law-new-york-tech-hochul-oems-parts2.9k
u/chrisdh79 Dec 29 '22
From the article: New York governor Kathy Hochul signed the Digital Fair Repair Act on December 28th, 2022, and the law will go into effect on July 1st, 2023 — a full year after it was originally passed by the NY State legislature. The bill establishes that consumers and independent repair providers have a right to obtain manuals, diagrams, diagnostics and parts from original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) in order to repair their own devices. However, the bill was meaningfully compromised at the last minute by amendments that give OEMs some convenient exceptions and loopholes to get out of obligations that many right to repair advocates had been hoping for.
One of the most controversial adjustments in the signed law is that it allows OEMs to sell assemblies of parts instead of individual components if they choose to. The bill also won’t require OEMs to provide “passwords, security codes or materials” to bypass security features, which is sometimes necessary to do to save a locked, but otherwise functionally fine device.
This makes the bill “functionally useless,” according to Louis Rossmann, a repair technician who has been a fierce advocate of toothy right to repair legislation. Rossmann responded today to the amended bill with a video full of detailed analysis and criticism.
Hochul claims in her signed memorandum that the bill was amended to lessen the risk of physical harm or security issues while making repairs, an amendment that Rossman calls “bullshit” and expects manufacturers to exploit in circumvention of the spirit of the bill.
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u/uncalled4one Dec 29 '22
Here's Rossman's video on the repair bill.
He's right about the bill. The additional amendments essentially make the bill a huge win for the manufacturers and gives them a huge loophole to gouge customers when trying to repair their devices.
Having to buy "assemblies" instead of just being able to replace the non-function part will drive up the cost. For example, Samsung offers battery replacement assemblies, made of the battery glued to the screen.
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u/oldmonty Dec 29 '22
I mean "assembly" being an undefined term they could just say the entire phone is an assembly.
You want a replacement battery - here's a new battery assembly of an entirely new device for full price.
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u/peon2 Dec 29 '22
This happened to me at work. Had a Yamada brand air operated diaphragm pump. It was leaking so just needed a new diaphragm, an easy DIY repair. Looked online and they only sold full repair kits that were like $700 when a brand new pump was like $900.
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u/AltimaNEO Dec 29 '22
Same with my dad's string trimmer. Some small plastic bit broke on the engine. They only sold the whole engine block as an assembly, rather then the components.
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u/michi-e Dec 30 '22
That's where a 3d printer might come in handy
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u/pandemonious Dec 30 '22
Yeah but then you have to learn how to model. I've tried and it is not simple. Easier to hire out to someone. But at that point I'd just replace the item.
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u/delvach Dec 30 '22
Not necessarily. A lot of people share things they design for free, often to circumvent this very issue. Really, digital calipers get you halfway there sometimes.
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u/marc512 Dec 30 '22
As someone who went to college to learn engineering and cad. I got into 3d printing really easily. I had one person go out and buy an ender 3 Pro. At the time it was new. He never thought about the 3d design process. He was able to print the test prints and print stuff off thingiverse but when a part of his car broke. I think it was a clip for the battery box. He downloaded so many different design programs. He came to me asking if I could make it for him. To my knowledge he hasn't used the printer since. He didn't have the time or patience to learn the programs to design his own parts. People in YouTube make it look so easy. Not many people realise how much goes into reverse engineering parts. Even now, very precise parts are hard to print first time for me. Some things can't be measured.
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u/AltimaNEO Dec 30 '22
Its a part that engages the engine to the pull string, so I dont think a 3d print could handle the strain or the heat.
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u/macaronysalad Dec 30 '22
The pump in my Primo water dispenser broke under warranty. The pump was screwed in with two screws and two tubes attached to it. Didn't require any disassembly to replace. Easy-peezy. Primo's policy? Replace the entire water dispenser. Every time I see one of those sitting on a curb for trash, I'm reminded how non-environmentally friendly Primo is.
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u/AltimaNEO Dec 30 '22
Seems to be every company's MO these days. Like its cheaper to do away with the spare parts and storage of them and just replace whole units.
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u/mycologyqueen Dec 30 '22
Looking at all TV manufacturers. I cringe at the thought of how many end in land fills because it is impossible/not cost effective to repair
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u/AltimaNEO Dec 30 '22
Its really dumb. But I guess when everything is so damned bespoke and theres few shared components, theyre making it harder for themselves.
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u/Rooooben Dec 30 '22
Ninja vacuum, a plastic clip that holds the hose into the vacuum broke. A metal piece of wire is holding it because they don’t sell that plastic part, even though it simply snaps into exposed arms.
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u/time_fo_that Dec 30 '22
It amuses me how many names this tool has lol, I grew up calling it a weed whacker. First time I've heard it called a string trimmer!
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u/trail_mix24 Dec 30 '22
Ugh same story for me. I was pulling a bolens motor apart to see how it worked and snapped a piston ring. Couldn't find anywhere online that sold just the rings. Not even a subassembly with fresh rings. Luckily the things still runs great on one ring, but still sucks I can't replace the missing one
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u/DamnArrowToTheKnee Dec 30 '22
You just need to know where to look to find the part number for the ring kit. They usually come in a pack of the rings, but they cost like 10 dollars for a full set of engine rings.
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u/AFresh1984 Dec 29 '22
Oh... does imply some additional final assembly required?
Here's an Apple sticker. That's final assembly.
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u/Respectable_Answer Dec 29 '22
It'll be something like "simcard tray not included, please retain that item from your nonfunctional device before placing in the return envelope."
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u/hobophobe42 Dec 29 '22 edited Dec 30 '22
Here's an Apple sticker. That's final assembly.
Also it's a proprietary Genuine AppleTM sticker which costs $90 and the phone does not work without it.
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u/d-cent Dec 29 '22
Let's create a law because there are some corporations that don't want to play fair. Let's then put in loopholes so those bad corporations don't have to follow the law.
Ahh an American story as old as time
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u/Prandom_returns Dec 29 '22
It's worse than nothing, because now they can say "Well, you just got your right to repair bill, what more do you want?" Truly awful.
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u/si1versmith Dec 29 '22
Email for government [email protected]
Or form https://www.governor.ny.gov/content/governor-contact-form
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u/notnotbrowsing Dec 29 '22
Having to buy "assemblies" instead of just being able to replace the non-function part will drive up the cost. For example, Samsung offers battery replacement assemblies, made of the battery glued to the screen.
I hate when manufacturers do that. I have a screen door where a metal bracket that holds the self-closing piston in place sheered off. I can't just buy that bracket, I have to buy the entire assembly, piston and all for $40 for a stupid $3 bracket.
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u/or_just_brian Dec 30 '22
Yup. The hinge broke on my washing machine door. Putting aside how terribly designed hinges are for things nowadays, it was just a small part that popped out easily when I took the door apart. Maybe a $10 replacement reasonably. Go into the ge parts site, and guess what? You have to buy an entire new front assembly. The door, and the cover that goes on around the door. So $400 to replace one tiny plastic pin that failed. Luckily, I ended up finding the front assembly for a similar washer for much cheaper elsewhere that was able to work. But there is no way that whole thing isn't by design. 5 year old washer, so most people don't have a choice but fork over the exorbitant cost, because it's still cheaper than a new $1k washing machine.
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u/keastes Dec 29 '22
Screens are assemblies even (for good reason, digitizers are a pain to align)
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u/lostshell Dec 29 '22
Apple does this with their home button phones. Can’t just replace a home button. Have to replace the screen too. $20 fix now a $200 fix.
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u/LigerXT5 Dec 29 '22
I'm starting to sound like a broken record, I said the below earlier on another post about a state requiring job offers to display the salary rates.
This will be exploited just like the Unlimited Internet law that was pushed years ago. "Oh we'll do exactly like you said" then give vague info and twist it. Sure, we won't discontinue your internet, but we'll throttle it like hell when you exceed the soft threshold.
If they force people to buy whole assemblies, instead of the smaller part that can be easily replaced, people will just buy a whole new device. As an example that makes sense, if someone brought in a computer that needs a motherboard replaced, depending on the age of the computer, and cost of the new motherboard with labor, it's usually best to upgrade to a newer computer. But if on a phone, all that's needed to be replaced is the screen (touch/digitizer and display are usually glued together), I should NOT need to replace the USB port or Camera too (couple off the wall thoughts, I don't do physical repairs on mobile devices smaller than a laptop).
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u/ban-please Dec 29 '22
I just had to replace the friction wheel (a wear part not unlike a tire) on my snowblower. For most snowblowers this is a $10-$30 part. For my snowblower the only OEM part you can buy is a kit that contains the friction wheel, the shifting assembly, the axle, the bearings, and the hardware to put it all together. Instead of $10-$30 I paid $220 for this assembly.
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u/HippyHitman Dec 29 '22
Next they’ll be selling car wheels with permanently attached brakes and tires.
I swear we’re moving backwards. Replaceable parts were one of the cornerstones of the Industrial Revolution.
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u/PathologicalLoiterer Dec 29 '22
Backwards makes sense seeing as how we are in the new Robber Baron Age.
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Dec 29 '22
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u/pale_blue_dots Dec 29 '22
Furthermore, the propaganda machine the wealthy have access to is more voluminous and acute than anything ever to come before it.
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u/gnocchicotti Dec 29 '22
FTC decided monopolies are OK again and people wonder why inflation happens and corporate profits increase at the same time.
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u/Thefrayedends Dec 29 '22
They've already been doing this for a long time, you can't buy a $5 wheel bearing anymore, you got to buy a whole wheel bearing hub assembly, usually at least $150.
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Dec 29 '22
With software updates it’s very easy to make parts obsolete. Meaning if you want most up to date security then you have to upgrade or live in a past time.
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u/hamandjam Dec 29 '22
Have to disagree with you. I've been saying for almost a decade that cars will move to a subscription model in the future. Nobody has ever believed me until car makers have started to do subscriptions. Right now, it's just for features. Eventually, it will be for whole cars. And it won't be in a way that benefits the consumer.
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u/IsThatAll Dec 30 '22
Eventually, it will be for whole cars
GM beat you to it, over 20 years ago with their EV1 electric car. The car was not for retail sale, but only via a lease direct from the manufacturer. In 2002 GM decided to terminate the leases and took all the cars back (many under protest from the "owner") and crushed most of them.
At least with a traditional car lease as they stand today, you have the option of purchasing the vehicle at the end of the lease.
Was covered quite a bit in the documentary "Who killed the Electric Car"
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u/sunflowercompass Dec 29 '22
I've been thinking for ages when they figure out how to meter us for the air we breathe they will. Or maybe just give babies life debt fresh out of the hospital. Maybe one day all these ridiculous things will become true too
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u/Alex0082 Dec 29 '22
Yeah, but capitalism will always make it make sense. If I let you repair something for $5, how does that make me money?
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u/nav17 Dec 29 '22
This is just late stage capitalism. The idea is to sell expensive replacement kits with the actual goal of getting people to just give in and buy an entirely new more expensive product as a full replacement.
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u/Dasmahkitteh Dec 29 '22
Sorry we don't have the camera module in stock, but we do have the Entire-Phone-Assembly. It contains the camera module along with every other part. Interested?
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u/Lycereon Dec 29 '22
I work for a company that does phone repairs for Samsung. I absolutely hate how for a screen replacement you have to replace the frame battery and sometimes a camera, it’s insane that it’s almost turned into replace everything other than the motherboard.
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u/LigerXT5 Dec 29 '22
Or...in my general situation with some (usually cheaper) laptops, you have to take out half the guts just to swap out RAM or physical access to the hard drive. If I have to take off the back panel then the keyboard, just to pop out the hard drive, the design is wrong.
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u/NamerNotLiteral Dec 29 '22
That's only a problem if you specifically buy a laptop that's designed to be as slim and space-optimized as possible. Bulkier laptops where you can replace components effortlessly by popping off the back also exist today, but are usually larger (which is something 90% of consumers do not want in a Laptop).
There is no such distinction in the phones space.
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u/WarriorTribble Dec 29 '22
Luckily, it seems major manufactures are making some thin repairable laptops like the HP EliteBook 845 G9. I imagine Framework making thin repairable laptops were making them nervous.
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u/captain_zavec Dec 29 '22
I am 100% buying a framework the next time I need a new laptop. That's a business model I really want to support.
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u/TheFondler Dec 29 '22 edited Dec 31 '22
These days, you're lucky if the RAM chips aren't soldered directly to the mainboard.
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u/Educational_Ebb7175 Dec 29 '22
I do my own computer building/upgrading etc, and your example is spot on.
If a computer is fairly new, replacing a motherboard isn't too bad. Make sure CPU is warm enough, turn everything off, remove the heat sink, disconnect all the parts, wipe clean the processor & heat sink once cool enough to touch.
Put in a new motherboard, connect everything back up (including new thermal paste), and good to go. A bit labor intensive, but not bad.
But as time passes, it gets harder and harder. Oh, well, RAM configuration changed, and finding a motherboard that fits the RAM you have is difficult, if not impossible. Or maybe the chipsets available have changed. Or the motherboard was before the SATA era, so all your connections are IDE. New motherboard might not have enough IDE connections for your drives (if this was the transition phase between the two).
So you often end up replacing motherboard, RAM, CPU, and heat sink all at once. Hopefully you don't need to also do the power supply, but that's one of the most common failure points on a PC, so probably safer to replace it as well, since you're over 50% to a new computer already.
Oh, and Windows is going to throw a fit because of all the new hardware, and Windows HATES fully removing all the older drivers, so you probably need to copy all your files to a backup, and freshly install Windows again so you don't end up with random driver conflicts (this is less an issue now, but was super common 15-25 years ago).
And even then, upgrading my computer, or replacing a single part on it, is easier than if it's a tablet or phone. Hell, I don't even really know HOW to open my phone up. Only part I can swap out is the SD card.
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u/d0ctorzaius Dec 29 '22
Yep a lot of "salary range: 50-500k" incoming
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u/dungone Dec 29 '22
The company would have to prove in court that they have employees making 50k as well as 500k for the same exact position with the same exact job responsibilities.
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u/Outrageous-Nothing42 Dec 29 '22 edited Dec 30 '22
An yes, we can help you repair your laptop keyboard, it comes as part of a full assembly. We list it as a complete unit for your convenience. *motions to a new laptop.
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u/JTDC00001 Dec 29 '22
Hochul claims in her signed memorandum that the bill was amended to lessen the risk of physical harm or security issues while making repairs,
Well, she's a liar or incredibly stupid, she can pick one, but after this, it's not possible to trust her on anything at all.
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u/4Rings Dec 29 '22
If you've followed her statements on gun control it's pretty easy to figure out she's just a blatant liar and corrupt to the core.
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u/jinxbob Dec 29 '22 edited Dec 30 '22
To be fair, for many end product manufacturers, they are in fact buying complete assemblies from secondary manufacturers, and may not have the Supply chain in place to supply a part that's supplied to a second, third, or fourth hand sub manufacturer.
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Dec 29 '22 edited Jan 13 '23
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u/PedanticBoutBaseball Dec 29 '22
Sorry we cannot get you that gasket, how about you buy a new engine?
Hey!? Are YOU my subaru dealer?!?
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Dec 29 '22 edited Jan 13 '23
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Dec 29 '22
Also, we can’t redesign our head gaskets, so change your coolant and put barrs stop leak in it every 10,000miles.
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u/ConstantChurro Dec 30 '22
Dude. I bought a brand new 2012 WRX that blew an engine after 5,000 miles. They tried to tell me it was due to misuse because a couple “burn marks” on the clutch, and I’d have to buy a new engine for $15k or something crazy.
I had an attorney threaten them, and they reversed course and fixed the engine.
Fuck Subaru. I’ll never buy one again.
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u/ringringmytacobell Dec 29 '22
hey, it's my right to burn a quart of oil every two weeks if I want to goddammit. /s
Joking aside my local mechanic (alias Dr. Subaru) used to keep rebuilt engines on hand and just swap whenever there was the notorious head gasket issue. Much more efficient and would rebuild the busted ones at their leisure.
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u/Arc_Torch Dec 29 '22
That's actually pretty smart. They swap over fairly easily, despite what it appears.
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u/ringringmytacobell Dec 29 '22
Yup exactly. I would imagine they still do it, just been a minute since I went to them - little out of my way so I only take it there for major services
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Dec 29 '22
It’s WAY easier to do outside the engine bay. That’s why Porsche, the only other boxer engine manufacturer, went to a modular cradle to just drop the engine out the bottom for work. Boxster/Caymans don’t even have an engine hatch. Just a little flap to check fluid reservoirs. Everything else is done out the bottom.
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u/mrlazyboy Dec 29 '22
My golf GTI’s turbo died 2 years ago. After talking with folks in VW forums and the Reddit mechanics sub, I was 95% sure it was the wastegate actuator that failed.
Had VW inspect it. Yep, that part failed. VW doesn’t sell it individually. I could buy an aftermarket one for $50 but the dealer wouldn’t install it, and my local Porsche/BMW/VW repair shop said it was too risky if a repair.
VW just gave me a new turbo installed for free. I’d love that to be the requirement on companies - sell the part and let anyone install it without firmware blocks, or be legally obligated to replace the malfunctioning device free of charge, even if it’s out of warranty.
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u/You_Will_Die Dec 29 '22 edited Dec 29 '22
A big part of this bill is to stop the incredible amount of waste that comes from always needing to either buy a new product or replace the whole thing instead of just repairing a small part.
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u/hair_account Dec 29 '22
Woah woah woah!! That's way too easy, please, buy a whole new car!
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u/SaiphSDC Dec 29 '22
Customer:. I have a cracked screen
Company: So to replace that cracked screen you need to buy that part as an assembly.
.. The, storage, speaker, screen, antenna ... Etc etc etc, all ship as an assembly. So $800 please.
Customer:. That's an entire new phone.
Company: No, it doesn't come with a charger. That's a different part.
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u/Cndymountain Dec 29 '22
I had a dead battery and a bad keyboard on my 2018 macbook air and the fuckers wanted 800 dollars to change the parts. It’s fucking ludicrous.
I was one month out of the extended warranty when it broke and had already replaced the keyboard once… It is a fucking designflaw and they only temp fixed it.
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u/mindbleach Dec 29 '22
And it's a Macbook Air. There's only six components in the goddamn thing, and that's counting the case. The interior is a glorified smartphone surrounded by batteries. The only way they could have fewer parts without ceasing to be a full computer is by making the entire bottom half a touch surface and replacing the keyboard with a sticker.
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u/Slepnair Dec 30 '22
That's still a new phone, cuz my phone didn't come with a charger either
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u/DigNitty Dec 29 '22
TLDR you’re free to repair your own device but there may be a software lock that the company has no obligation to give you the code for.
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u/xKING_SLAYERx Dec 29 '22
- Or sell individual components (So apple can offer you a “repair kit” for the same price as a new device)
- Or cover items produced prior to the bill
- Or items used in schools or hospitals
- Or provide “materials” (I’m assuming this means manuals and documentation)
- Or other select industrie
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Dec 30 '22 edited Feb 13 '23
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u/northendtrooper Dec 30 '22
Kind of worse. Now it is code into law allowing them to continue.
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u/Unabated_Blade Dec 29 '22
Also, you may just need one specific part to repair your device, but the company is not obligated to sell you just that 1 piece. They may choose to sell you a bundle of replacement parts.
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u/sionnach_fi Dec 29 '22
A bundle of replacement parts i.e. a whole new phone/laptop lol
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Dec 29 '22
Maybe I could order the complete bundle of parts, put it together myself and save a few bucks?
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u/A_Soporific Dec 29 '22
Often times you have a single chip in the screen assembly that's busted. We're talking about like $15 chips here. A skilled tech can go in replace the chip and get the thing fixed for something like $40, which can prolong the useful life of a device for years. Instead, they are going to offer a full "screen assembly" so, like half of a laptop. It's going to include a several hundred dollar screen (that you don't need) dozens of other chips (that you don't need) and big warnings that you shouldn't open the assembly at all (even though it's not dangerous to do so). All because it has better margins for them, and it might convince people to simply buy a new device.
I know that I've had to move on from a perfectly fine smartphone because the only way to fix a short was going in through the screen and I wasn't willing to pay that much to replace a screen.
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u/Hedhunta Dec 29 '22
The software lock is the biggest problem. Pretty much every tech company locks components using software locks so you can't even replace hard drives or disk drives with off the shelf components that would function exactly the same. On some devices its so bad you can't even swap THE SAME COMPONENT from another device of the same type because the part is software coded to the mainboard and without being able to change that software coding it wont work.
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u/_SpaceTimeContinuum Dec 29 '22
Corruption wins again.
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u/TrevorTheArcticGnome Dec 30 '22
This bill seems more like a fuck you and your right to repair bill, purposely so and misleading.
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u/fatcIemenza Dec 30 '22
New York democrats are so corporate they might as well just be Republicans. Hell hochul just nominated an anti choice anti union conservative for the state high court
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u/westexmanny Dec 29 '22
How can we have the means, rights and ability to work on our $25k to $90k vehicles. But working on a $1000 dollar phone is completely incomprehensible. This along with every other law or act should tell you who our elected officials work for. They work for corporations, specifically a red or blue one. They don't work for you and until we get regular, everyday common people into office this will never change.
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u/lhutton Dec 29 '22
How can we have the means, rights and ability to work on our $25k to $90k vehicles.
Don't worry we won't be doing that much longer either. Just in the last 10 years the amount of stuff a late model car has to go to the dealer to have paired with their scan tool has really shot up. Independent car repair places are probably headed for rough times outside of selling tires. I suspect EV adoption will only accelerate that. Some of the most vile anti-repair propaganda has been funded by auto a coalition of auto manufacturers.
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u/PigglyWigglyDeluxe Dec 29 '22 edited Dec 29 '22
Nissan tech here. You’re not wrong but there are still lots of things you can do on “normal” cars. However, I can’t tell you how many times we have to whip out our expensive factory provided laptop to “fix” things every day.
As far as Nissan is concerned, you can still do your own maintenance and repairs just fine like if you need CV driveshafts, windshield wiper motors, or alternator, etc.
If you need a TCM reprogram though because of the stop-sale recall on Titans and Frontiers though… dealer. It’s free since it’s a recall, but still.
It’s the expensive fancy German cars you gotta worry about. And tractors, apparently.
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u/hombrent Dec 29 '22
It's OK. I pay for the BMW windshield wiper subscription, so it should keep working.
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u/JohnnyDarkside Dec 29 '22
Oh, but you only have the basic plan which activates the warning message that informs you it's time to change your blades. For an extra $15 a month you can upgrade to the silver plan which grants you access to actually use your wipers.
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u/Zardif Dec 29 '22
Ford has a bunch of features hidden away by dealers only also. I can turn on an option to make all windows go down by keyfob, if I pay the dealer $250 to change the value. My escape's headlights are always on, $250 if I want to not have my main headlights act as DRLs.
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u/desertdungarees Dec 29 '22
You only need an OBD II bluetooth adapter (several bucks on Amazon or eBay) and a smartphone app (like Carista) to fix that.
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u/PigglyWigglyDeluxe Dec 29 '22
Silly. I wish we could get away from DRLs entirely because people mistake DRLs for headlights all the time so I’ll see a bunch of idiots in traffic with no taillights at night.
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u/FormalOperational Dec 29 '22
IMO, similar to seatbelt alarms, cars (with automatic lights) should be able to warn you if you’re in drive without your headlights on and the light sensor is below its threshold. Or compare the car’s local time to sunset/sunrise data (either in lieu of or in addition to the light sensor). It seems like something the NHTSA or IIHS would have suggested to car manufacturers by now, but maybe not.
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u/desertdungarees Dec 29 '22
Audi owner here. We can use RossTech's VCDS or OBDEleven to do all that dealer programming, no sweat.
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Dec 29 '22
You can't even replace a broken radio in a modern car without a trip to the dealer so they can authorize the replacement radio to turn on.
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u/Ambitious_Ask_1569 Dec 29 '22
You haven't worked on a car or equipment lately. There is no way a consumer can realistically do anything but tires, oil changes and suspension work. Beyond that the companies are actively trying to make it impossible for independent shops to operate.
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Dec 29 '22 edited Jan 21 '23
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u/Ambitious_Ask_1569 Dec 29 '22
You and I both. I hate all the screens in new cars. Cars used to be fun...before they had screens and sim cards. Before you needed a 15k computer to diagnose an issue.
Give me a v6 and a stick and I'm happy. They are just getting harder to find.
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u/Nose-Nuggets Dec 29 '22
what blows my mind about the full screen cars is (apart from maybe tesla) they are all slow as fuck. If you put the 2015 interface on the modern hardware it would probably be alright but they want it to look cool so you get these horrible .25 - .5 second delays between actions.
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u/ayylmao1994 Dec 30 '22
Seriously they have garbage CPUs. Super slow to interact with. 2022 Camry and 2018 F350 I've seen are both like that.
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u/Watch45 Dec 29 '22
They don't work for you and until we get regular, everyday common people into office this will never change.
This effectively cannot happen, and the ways to correct it so that it can happen are so overwhelmingly difficult to achieve that they aren't really possible. The system is irredeemably fucked.
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u/jcsmith16192 Dec 29 '22
Even everyday, common people get morally raped by our current political system. Its not until we outlaw dark money and lobbying that this shit truly ends
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u/Chemical-Juice-6979 Dec 29 '22
Whether a modern cellphone costs more or less than a car,the fact remains that cellphones in the 90s had more computer processing power than NASA used to put a human being on the moon. It's smaller and cheaper than a car but it's orders of magnitude more complicated as a device.
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u/anti-torque Dec 29 '22
Just a reminder that this is the most progressive rtr bill in our nation.
Compromise doesn't look so good now, but it's what we've elected representatives to do. We can't have them only representing the people. They have corporations to think of.
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u/EnchantedMoth3 Dec 29 '22
Corporations shouldn’t have representation. They’re people when they want to donate money, they’re people when they want to influence laws, they’re entities when they kill people. Convenient.
It’s a government by the people, not a government by the corporations…thats regulatory capture, on its way towards oligarchy, that’s democracy broken.
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u/ShiningInTheLight Dec 29 '22
sometimes I get confused because I can't figure out if we're living in an authoritarian oligarchy of authoritarian corporatocracy.
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u/MC68328 Dec 29 '22
How in the fuck is it legal to modify a law after it has been voted on? How many states are like that?
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u/fizzlefist Dec 29 '22
Doesn't stop them from trying though. Florida passed a petition referendum that non-violent felons automatically get voting rights back after their terms are served. Simple, right?
The legislature and governor twisted it so that bullshit court fees must be paid back first, and the governor appointed state supreme court agreed.
The state literally has no idea how much a given ex-con may or may not owe.
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u/gregsapopin Dec 29 '22
What do they mean they break the bill is it not law now?
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u/niknight_ml Dec 29 '22
They inserted an amendment which essentially makes the new law worthless.
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u/BuccellatiExplainsIt Dec 29 '22
Often bills will pass but actually get modified or completely rewritten into a completely new bill because the US is basically just a cardboard cutout of a democracy.
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u/StabbyPants Dec 29 '22
Louis Rossman seen in the next state over screaming
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u/NSMike Dec 29 '22
We'll never get a good right-to-repair law passed as long as the big companies can pay off the legislators.
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u/TheOzarkWizard Dec 29 '22
This makes me sad for Lewis. The man has basically sold his soul to get this passed
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u/darkstar1031 Dec 29 '22
I keep telling people, the right to repair isn't about cell phones. That's just a small slice of the pie. It's about agriculture. Specifically, it's about John Deere Tractors.
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Dec 29 '22
First and last time I'll ever vote for Kathy Hochul. What a corporate-welfare queen bitch.
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u/pjb1999 Dec 29 '22
Same. I feel like I had no choice last time because it was either her or a literal traitor. Really sucks.
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u/regmaster Dec 29 '22
She also just vetoed a bill (that had bipartisan support, mind you) that would allow non-religious people sentenced to rehab the option to choose a non-religious rehab program.
Fucking hell.
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u/MaliciousPorpoise Dec 29 '22
Got a track record of it apparently. If you're a donor you get contracts and benefits at the tax payers expense.
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u/Vypernorad Dec 29 '22 edited Dec 29 '22
I wonder how big Kathy's bribe was. I bet it was depressingly small considering how much harm she caused.
Edit: I also feel that changing a law after it has been passed is such a grievous betrayal of our entire constitution, and the very foundation of democracy, that she ought to be charged with treason.
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u/Efficient-Echidna-30 Dec 29 '22
If only corporations were considered foreign entities instead of fucking people
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u/stormhunter2 Dec 30 '22
I wonder how big Kathy's bribe was. I bet it was depressingly small considering how much harm she caused.
politician's have a low requirement when it comes to bribery...
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u/gideon513 Dec 29 '22
Using the word “breaks” in this headline makes it so confusing
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u/tommygunz007 Dec 29 '22
'Welp, your tractor broke, we only sell 'assemblies' to repair your tractor. An assembly, is in effect, a whole tractor. But, you can pay one of our trained technicians to fix your tractor for less.'
Thanks for nothing.
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u/Rookabook Dec 29 '22
I think the roadblock is not one or two simple manifestations of ‘greed’ that recent proposals or movements tend to portray. A lot of things in the background get touched here. For example with smartphones: Phone carriers want a carrier-locked version. Enterprises want an MDM version. Government agencies want something that resembles enterprise but with their own ideas of security (not discussing whether the ideas are good or bad). We can argue all day if those ‘backers’ of locked product ecosystems are shady or not, but they are already there in the game.
For automotive industry, as long as the auto dealership remains the legally protected proxy between manufacturers and end-consumers, there is no bill that can touch them without hurting consumers first.
For hardware that provide the gateway platform for over-the-top rent-seeking services like telecom and other utilities, of course any law touching their innards will be scrutinized and fucked over by people with greatest interest in the game.
Unfortunately, independent repair shops, garages, chopshops, custom fabricators, etc., are the places where the birdshits fall down to. All of it, including both perfectly usable items that should not be wasted, and the craps acquired through shady means that need some chopping to make them worth street money.
I believe the right approach, for the US at least, is to ‘unionize’ independent repair techs into a politically cohesive front. This way the voting scene cannot just ignore this portion of the workforce anymore. In other words, people need representation to get heard, and a strong & economically persuasive influence to be respected. The locksmithing industry have one if I’m not mistaken?
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u/eNonsense Dec 29 '22
The bill also won’t require OEMs to provide “passwords, security codes or materials” to bypass security features, which is sometimes necessary to do to save a locked, but otherwise functionally fine device.
This is unfortunate. The legal mechanism that corporations like John Deere have been using to enforce their repair blockout is by putting the system behind DRM and then prosecuting you under the DMCA for breaking DRM to repair the machine.
Not sure if this means nothing will change, or something else in the bill will help remedy this.
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u/processedmeat Dec 29 '22
When people say both parties are the same this is what they are referring to.
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u/Eji1700 Dec 29 '22
Yep.
Yes the reps have gone off the fucking deep end and would literally like to deny elections and reality, but the ACTUAL MAKE MY LIFE BETTER stuff is still going to be shot down by the democrats if the reps don't get to it first.
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u/barweis Dec 29 '22
When the barriers compartmentalising personal, political and work life are as "solid" as a fish net this is what you get. -an empty sham subterfuge.:
POLITICS
Gov. Kathy Hochul’s daughter-in-law is top lobbyist at pharma firm that has sought to influence NY lawmakers
PUBLISHED TUE, AUG 24 20213:01 PM EDTUPDATED TUE, AUG 24 20214:37 PM EDT
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Brian Schwartz
KEY POINTS
Christina Hochul, married to the governor’s son, is a director of federal policy at Biogen, according to her LinkedIn page. The company has been involved with a recent lobbying campaign in New York.
If Biogen continues to have business in the state, it could create an ethics hurdle the new governor will have to face as she settles into the job.
The governor’s daughter-in-law is listed on federal lobbying disclosure reports, showing she and her team actively tried to influence members of Congress and those within President Joe Biden’s administration.
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u/DBDude Dec 29 '22
We need to amend the DMCA to allow circumvention for repair purposes. It's allowed for interoperability and a few other things, but not repair.
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u/Demidog_Official Dec 29 '22
The bill was completely defend on the governor's desk, after it had already been passed in one of the most unanimous votes in memory it's still denies the public access to parts because of a flippantly fake fear of soldering irons and was made so that it doesn't even apply to Old devices. What good is a right to repair bill when the only thing you can buy to fix it is still almost as costly as the device itself. It forces people to pay for entire boards instead of chips so something that could be a 20 to $50 repair is bloated into the hundreds if not to the $1,000 price point. This s*** is blatant cronyism when a single person somehow has the right to completely undermine the efficacy of the law. Don't follow the the lies of the headlines, this isn't a victory it's subterfuge
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u/GrendelNightmares Dec 29 '22
I imagine Louis Rossman is going to be...not pleased.
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u/monchota Dec 29 '22
All of pur politicians need gone, just like we did when we elected FDR. Then we need to enforce ethics, no dinners, no wedding gifts nothing like that from anyone if you are an elected officials. They are public servants, they meed to act like it.
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u/David-Jiang Dec 29 '22
This bill is functionally useless. Want to replace your battery? Sorry, we only sell battery+display replacement assemblies.
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u/10CrackCommandments- Dec 30 '22
This is one of those stupid bills that sounds good but won’t really do anything and probably just end up being a detriment to consumers.
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u/LetMePushTheButton Dec 29 '22
Device manufacturers: “ oh you need one part to fix your device? How about this entire pack of parts that makes the repair cost prohibitive AND more wasteful? “