Colorado enacts right-to-repair law banning restrictions on parts pairing, mirroring Oregon's ban
Colorado enacts right-to-repair law banning restrictions on parts pairing, mirroring Oregon's ban
The policy puts Colorado at the forefront of a movement to give consumers more control over the devices they own.
Summary:
- Colorado's new right-to-repair law allows residents to repair their cell phones, computers, and other devices.
- The law requires manufacturers like Samsung and Apple to provide documentation, software, and tools to device owners and independent repair shops at the same prices as authorized repair providers.
- The law prohibits manufacturers from restricting replacement parts and displaying misleading alerts about parts.
- The law passed on partisan lines, with Democrats in support and Republicans opposed, and will take effect on Jan. 1, 2026.
- Exemptions to the law include video game consoles, medical devices, electric car chargers, and more.
- Opponents of the law argue it could pose security risks and impact device reliability, while supporters believe it promotes consumer choice and reduces electronic waste.
The Entertainment Software Association had pushed for the exemption for game consoles, arguing that including them would have made it easier to add chips that allow people to play pirated games.
What a load of utter shit. It would allow consumers to fix their things without dealing with crooks. Take a good look at Asus, they’re only the latest example.
Before i reply, know that i am also against parts pairing at this point in time. Fuck apple for making it popular.
Parts pairing does work against piracy to some level. Ps3's blu ray drive was paired, and had checks to see if it was modded. Changes to the drive would make it not play any content because the pairing verification failed.
Then there is the switch' game cart slot. Its paired with the switch, and has firmware running on it. It also adds a layer of protection.
They arent lying in that statement. What they arent saying is that it totally fucks with right to repair >>Yeah. There's zero reason a disk drive with a recognized genuine serial tied to it shouldn't work in any other system you stick it in that the system could verify online.
About Samsung (from Techopedia):
Not every manufacturer has wholly embraced the idea. iFixit recently dropped its Samsung partnership over allegations the Galaxy phone maker wasn’t much interested in do-it-yourself repairs. 404 Media learned that Samsung required independent repair shops to not only report customers who fix devices with unofficial parts, but to “disassemble” those devices. While right to repair laws don’t necessarily address that behavior, they along with existing warranty law could mandate policy changes.
About Apple (from The Register):
The fact that a strong parts pairing prohibition was included in the bill indicates that the practice continues to fall out of favor as more and more localities take action to ban it. Even Apple, which has relied heavily on parts pairing to maintain control of its devices while speaking out of the other side of its mouth about support for right to repair, recently caved to the parts-pairing pressure by announcing it would allow used parts to be installed in some devices.
However, as iFixit pointed out, Apple's declaration of allowing some used parts to be used for repairs doesn't comply with Colorado's prohibition on parts pairing, nor the version included in a recently passed right to repair bill in Oregon.
"Apple has made no promises to enable previously blocked functionality for third-party parts, which are also key to independent and DIY repair," iFixit said. "To be clear, nobody expects Apple to make parts work when they don't meet the necessary specifications — but currently, Apple blocks functionality of many third-party parts preemptively."
In other words, Colorado is another win, but it's hardly the end of the war.
Why are there any exceptions to begin with
It sucks! I'd guess this was an attempt to get something on the books and maybe they go back for exemptions later. Article says an earlier bill only applied to wheelchairs and then later they expanded to include agricultural equipment.
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The law passed on partisan lines, with Democrats in support and Republicans opposed,
BoTh SiDeS tHo
You know that's not what people are talking about when they say "both sides."
We can be critical of ghouls like Manchin, and shitty neoliberals who think "gelato freezers" and kneeling when George Floyd was murdered was sufficient response - you know... those who make the Democratic party worse for all of us in a way not all that dissimilar in SOME INSTANCES to the Repubs without everyone assuming we are Trump ball-garglers or Republicans, right?
...Or will we always get the "bOtH sIdEs" mocking which does little except serve to alienate fellow Dems, while providing the worst in the party cover for objectively shitty actions?
"Those materials have to be made available at the same prices the manufacturer charges to authorized repair providers."
One screen order $189. Three or more screens $120 a piece.
Sounds like ebay will be busy
Facts.
“Imagine if every time your car broke down, the only option you had for repair was the dealer. That's not a world any of us want to live in,” said Sen. Jeff Bridges, a Democrat who is one of the bill’s sponsors, at an earlier committee hearing.
About that...
The law also excludes motor vehicles, but independent mechanics and car owners already have similar rights under a 2014 memorandum of understanding
Not sure if a "memorandum of understanding" has the same legal force behind it the bill does. Hope so.
Dead car battery...hmmm do you remember your radio code? Nope? New radio! Sorry!
How can a state be so based
Thoroughly enjoyed this read