Last March Oregon became the seventh state to pass “right to repair” legislation making it easier, cheaper, and more convenient to repair technology you own. The bill’s passage came on the heels of legislation passed in Massachusetts (in 2012 and 2020), Colorado (in 2022 and 2023), New York (2023), Minnesota, Maine and California. All told, 30 states are considering such bills in 2024.
Here’s how I imagine this will go
People: Hey, that company isn’t following the laws
Politician: oh no, I’ll look into it
Company exec: yeah we don’t want to follow the laws, so we won’t.
Politician: well, I asked them nicely but if I actually do anything to punish them, then they won’t give me money anymore so my hands are tied.
Wrong. They will fine them $3,000 then say, “Don’t do it again.” Rinse and repeat every 2-3 years.
If you go through your state’s Attorney General’s office and you provide all the documentation of what you’ve requested, what has been denied, what the law is, and what you want as the outcome, it typically just takes a letter being sent from the AG to get what you want (assuming it is reasonable). If the law says that documentation or parts need to be made available, and that is what you ask to be done to close the matter, then a letter from the Attorney General will likely get that for you. States aren’t going to force this matter until their citizens start providing evidence and asking for enforcement.
Companies do not fuck around when an AG comes around. Enough complaints, or complaints that are ignored, is a quick way to get sued by the AG. The AG’s office has extensive resources to easily win in court, even getting your entire company’s - including parent and children companies - banned across the entire state.
It’s also pretty easy to get the AG involved. You have to provide a decent amount of supporting documentation, but most states have an online form you can file.
As an example, 20 years ago, a company tried to deny me a mail-in rebate. This was while my state AG was actively suing them for not paying rebates. I spent 30 minutes filling out the form with the required evidence. Receipts, etc. A month later I had my $15 rebate check, no additional questions asked.
They’ve been doing it for decades now because those “void if removed” stickers were always a blatant violation of existing laws in the US yet still continue to this day.