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Under pressure from tech companies, Fair Repair bill stalls in Nebraska
Source: The Guardian
Under pressure from tech companies, ‘Fair Repair’ bill stalls in Nebraska
Farmers wanted rights to service manuals to fix equipment faults,
but opponents such as Apple said it would create safety, security
and intellectual property risks
Olivia Solon
Saturday 11 March 2017 17.33 GMT
A quest taken up by farmers and independent repair shops to gain the rights to service manuals, diagnostic tools and parts for high-tech equipment has stalled in Nebraska, after lawmakers, under pressure from corporations such as Apple, shelved it.
The “Fair Repair” bill was designed to give owners increased rights over the software-embedded equipment and electronic items they purchase. Farmers have been pushing for such legislation so they can diagnose and fix faults in their increasingly computer-controlled tractors and combine harvesters, in the same way that car owners can do. To do this, they need diagnostic tools and manuals that the manufacturers keep closely guarded.
Nebraska was perceived as a test case in the US, where seven other states – including New York, Massachusetts, Illinois, Wyoming, Tennessee, Minnesota and Kansas – have similar bills.
Opponents to the bill, mainly the large companies that make and sell equipment including John Deere, Case IH, Apple and associated industry bodies, argue that allowing a broader set of people to access diagnostic tools creates safety, security and intellectual property risks.
The bill, LB67, had a public hearing at 1.30pm on Thursday, but 90 minutes before it started, supporters knew it was dead in the water. ...
[font size=1]-snip-[/font]
Farmers wanted rights to service manuals to fix equipment faults,
but opponents such as Apple said it would create safety, security
and intellectual property risks
Olivia Solon
Saturday 11 March 2017 17.33 GMT
A quest taken up by farmers and independent repair shops to gain the rights to service manuals, diagnostic tools and parts for high-tech equipment has stalled in Nebraska, after lawmakers, under pressure from corporations such as Apple, shelved it.
The “Fair Repair” bill was designed to give owners increased rights over the software-embedded equipment and electronic items they purchase. Farmers have been pushing for such legislation so they can diagnose and fix faults in their increasingly computer-controlled tractors and combine harvesters, in the same way that car owners can do. To do this, they need diagnostic tools and manuals that the manufacturers keep closely guarded.
Nebraska was perceived as a test case in the US, where seven other states – including New York, Massachusetts, Illinois, Wyoming, Tennessee, Minnesota and Kansas – have similar bills.
Opponents to the bill, mainly the large companies that make and sell equipment including John Deere, Case IH, Apple and associated industry bodies, argue that allowing a broader set of people to access diagnostic tools creates safety, security and intellectual property risks.
The bill, LB67, had a public hearing at 1.30pm on Thursday, but 90 minutes before it started, supporters knew it was dead in the water. ...
[font size=1]-snip-[/font]
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/mar/11/nebraska-farmers-right-to-repair-bill-stalls-apple
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