Right to repair

Right to repair is a legal right for owners of devices and equipment to freely maintain, repair, or modify products such as automobiles, electronics, and farm equipment.

Common obstacles to repair include requirements to use only the manufacturer's maintenance services, restrictions on access to tools and components, and software barriers. These obstacles represent a repair monopoly, an aftermarket monopoly where a company controls the market for repairing and maintaining their products, making it difficult or even impossible for anyone to be able to fix them. This can take the form of making it challenging or prohibitively expensive for individuals or independent third parties to get access to parts, manuals, or diagnostic tools. The purpose of repair monopolies is to force customers to either use the manufacturer's own repair services or purchase new equipment from the manufacturer.

Repair monopolies have been found to lead to higher prices, increased delays, reduced serviceability, and less choice for consumers. Proponents for the right to repair point to the benefits in affordability, sustainability, and availability of critical supplies in times of crisis. There is a social movement of citizens putting pressure on their governments to enact laws protecting a right to repair.

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