Right to Repair
Right to Repair affirms that people who own devices, both the hardware and software that make them run, can diagnose, maintain, and modify them without undue legal or technical barriers. It covers access to parts, tools, and repair information, as well as the ability to circumvent digital locks for lawful repair. Re:Create supports pro-consumer policies that prevent copyright and contract law from being misused to roll back owners’ rights and block perfectly legal repairs, because that abuse harms consumers, researchers, competition, and innovation.
Copyright laws, especially the digital locks provisions in the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), have been abused by greedy companies to prevent repair of anything that has software in it. Repairing cars, tractors, phones, washing machines, refrigerators and anything else that has software in it can require permission and even high licensing fees. Farmers and manufacturers need a robust Right to Repair so they can maintain their critical equipment without paying a penalty or monopoly prices to equipment vendors, and every American consumer should have the right to repair what they own.
Re:Create supports Right to Repair because it…
- Restores users’ ability to fix what they own by ensuring access to parts, manuals, tools, and diagnostics.
- Curbs misuse of copyright, EULAs, and digital locks to prevent lawful repair and security research.
- Spurs competition and lowers costs by enabling independent repair services and community repair efforts.
- Advances research, security, and interoperability by allowing good-faith examination, testing, and modification of devices.
- Extends product lifespans, reduces e-waste, and supports sustainability across households, schools, and small businesses.
- Promotes innovation and accessibility by clearing the path for modifications, assistive technologies, and new uses.
- Demonstrates a pro-consumer approach that benefits people and the broader economy without imposing unnecessary, innovation-chilling restrictions.