Right To Repair

IF ANYTHING CAN GO WRONG...IT WILL!

A widely accepted truth ...which some refer to as the so-called Murphy's law

....and if anything can go wrong

...someone will have to fix it!

And that someone could be you -- the person who bought the stuff

(Btw, just hope it doesn't go wrong at the worst possible time!!)

The right to repair is a global movement dating back to the year 2012 when it was first enacted in the US with the right to repair vehicles with several other amendments to the law over the years. In the UK, the right to repair was brought in on 21st July, 2021 the legislation was called "Ecodesign for energy-related products and energy information regulations, 2021". This law gives electronic appliance manufacturers 2 year's time to comply to ensure the availability of spare parts with the aim to increase the product lifecycle to 10 years.

The European Parliament too enforced regulations granting consumers the right to repair electronic appliances with the availability of spare parts for 10 years for electronic products.

Source: Pixabay

The Rationale for the Right to Repair

Manufacturers/OEMs understandably put many restrictions on how a product can be repaired and who can repair it

Some manufacturers are accused of "planned obsolescence" -- deliberately limiting the service life of the goods they have sold

... by making sure the goods don't last that long (breakdown quite often) or go obsolete quite quickly

A few years ago the Competition Commission of India came down heavily on 14 car manufacturers, and imposed hefty fines (collectively more than Rs 2500 crore penalty) for putting restrictions on the "aftermarket"

The aftermarket is typically very lucrative to manufacturers

...some of them will even sell their products at a near-cost price -- to avail of the rich pickings in "servicing" the products they have sold

If the Govt of India does make a law allowing consumers to repair their goods -- a big positive for DIY (Do It Yourself)

....hopefully, that will not lead to any DIY disasters!!

And the manufacturers, most of whom would be happy with the current legal framework on repairs, will be quietly rehearsing their rejoinder to the government's proposal:

IF IT AIN'T BROKE

...DON'T FIX IT!!