Key administration officials, state legislative leaders, and industry representatives from across the country touted growing bipartisan support for right to repair protections at an event hosted by the National Economic Council (NEC) yesterday.
NEC Director Lael Brainard and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chair Lina Khan were among those from the administration highlighting how original manufacturers’ increasing use of repair restrictions, like patent abuse, hurt small businesses and consumers alike.
“From smartphones to wheelchairs to cars to farm equipment, too often manufacturers make it difficult to access spare parts, manuals, and tools necessary to make fixes…So it doesn’t only cost consumers money but it also prevents independent repair shops from competing in this business and it creates unnecessary waste from reducing the lifespan of these devices.”
– Lael Brainard, NEC Director
“As both the FTC’s work and public reporting have documented, companies all too often will use a whole set of restrictive practices including limiting the availability of parts and tools, using exclusionary designs and product decisions that make independent repair less safe, and making assertions of patent and trademark rights that are overbroad.”
– Lina Khan, FTC Chair
Representing the CAR Coalition, Allstate Senior Vice President Don Jones underscored how bipartisan legislative solutions, like the Save Money on Auto Repair Transportation (SMART) (H.R. 1707) and Right to Equitable and Professional Auto Industry Repair (REPAIR) Acts (H.R. 906), would increase consumer choice and promote a healthy car repair market for vehicle owners.
“One way to increase consumer choice is to bolster aftermarket part manufacturing…Unfortunately, the manufacturing of aftermarket parts has been severely limited due to OEM use of design patents on basic cosmetic car parts.
The good news is, there is a solution. Allstate and our partners at the CAR Coalition support the SMART Act…Put simply, the bipartisan SMART Act will provide customers with increased options and choice –saving them money and potentially getting their vehicle repaired more quickly.
…It is increasingly difficult for independent repair shops to service newer, more technologically advanced cars without the same wireless access to car data that dealers have…The REPAIR Act, another bill with broad bipartisan support, would promote consumer choice by allowing car owners to wirelessly access and securely share their own vehicle-generated data with independent repair facilities of their choosing.”
– Don Jones, Senior Vice President, Allstate
Become part of the nationwide right to repair movement today by telling your representative to support the SMART and REPAIR Acts!
