Support for right to repair is off to a strong start in the new year, with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issuing a new request for public comment on a November petition urging the agency to establish rulemaking that protects consumers’ right to repair the products they own.
The petition, brought by leading repair advocates U.S. PIRG and iFixit, asks the FTC to enact pro-repair rules to counteract original equipment manufacturers’ (OEM) anticompetitive restrictions – like vehicle data access limitations and design patent misuse in the auto industry.
As it outlines, OEMs’ unfair conduct hurts consumers, the environment, and overall market competition – necessitating relief:
“The consequences of these repair restrictions are that manufacturers hurt consumers financially, generate needless environmental waste, and consolidate their market power…Components that commonly break ought to be replaceable and readily available as repair parts. Consumers ought to be able to choose to take damaged products to a repair shop of their choice, or perform a repair themselves.”
– U.S. PIRG & iFixit Petition to the FTC
Thankfully, continued attention from the Biden administration and Congress is paving the way for much-needed repair protections on important everyday items like cars. Late last year, FTC Chair Lina Khan spoke at a White House roundtable on right to repair, cautioning against companies’ restrictive practices, like “overbroad” assertions of patent and trademark rights, that “make independent repair less safe.” Just a few weeks later, a House Energy and Commerce subcommittee unanimously voted to advance the bipartisan REPAIR Act (H.R. 906) onto the full committee for consideration.
There’s no time to waste on ensuring access to affordable car repairs – tell your member of Congress to advance commonsense bipartisan bills like the REPAIR and SMART (H.R. 1707) Acts today!
