The Week In Repair: May 8 - 14
Hospitals, repairers call out effort to undermine medical right to repair. Caterpillar is turning old engines into new profits. And: is Apple’s self service repair the end of iFixit?
Hospitals, Repairers, Public Health Groups Oppose Efforts to Undermine Medical Right to Repair
A range of groups supporting independent medical device repair delivered a letter to the House Energy & Commerce committee last week opposing a manufacturer-backed amendment to the Medical Device User Fees Amendment (MDUFA), a must-pass piece of legislation.
The letter—signed by leaders from health networks representing 253 hospitals across 26 states, the country’s top independent service organizations (ISOs) and other repair and public health advocates—states that the changes to the definition of “remanufacturing” suggested by Rep. Scott Peters’ (CA) H.R.7253 could severely reduce competition in the medical device repair industry. PIRG and IAMERS also delivered a similar letter signed by 100 biomedical repair technicians, aka biomeds, who work on our healthcare system’s frontlines to maintain and service medical devices. (US PIRG)
Caterpillar Is Turning Old Engines Into New Profits
Construction equipment maker Caterpillar Inc. wants to sell engines—again and again. Every day, old, beat-up and broken-down engines from mining trucks and compactors return to a factory here to be inspected, taken apart and rebuilt again as new. The effort, which in 2021 took in an estimated 127 million pounds of equipment to be reprocessed, is part of a push by the construction equipment giant to meet environmental goals and boost revenue from services, which Caterpillar said could also give the company an edge over rivals.
“It’s taking a product which is towards the end of its life, refurbishing it and basically putting it back in service and extending the life,” said Caterpillar financial chief Andrew Bonfield. “From a customer’s perspective, effectively they get a refurbished machine, almost as good as new, at a lower cost.” (Wall Street Journal)
Microsoft Killed Its Best Tool for Right to Repair: Physical Stores
An independent study Microsoft funded recently showed that improving repair processes could prevent greenhouse gases and avoid e-waste. But it’s easy to “study” an issue, harder to solve it. Unfortunately, Microsoft killed its best tool to tackle repairability—brick and mortar Microsoft Stores.
Microsoft should open stores in accessible locations with a focus on repair, teaching, and help. Selling Surface tablets and laptops could continue, but as a side business and not the goal for profitability. Imagine if the Microsoft Store was a place you could go to learn how to use your new laptop, no matter who made it. You could go to the Microsoft Store for help when you run into an issue. And when you drop your laptop or tablet, the Microsoft Store could be there to fix it. (reviewgeek.com)
Is Apple’s Self Service Repair The End of iFixit?
When Apple announced their self service repair program, we expected to see pigs flying. When they went quiet for months afterward we thought we might be witnessing another AirPower—the wireless charger Apple announced but never released. When they announced not only tool sales but tool rentals, we knew we had to get our hands on these things. We still don’t have official parts in our hands, but we’ve got plenty to say without them! Tune in to YouTube, the video below, or the paraphrased-and-edited-for-clarity transcript of our Apple Self Service program review/debate—turns out we’ve got too many opinions for just one iFixiter! (iFixit.com)
🎧 Ear Repair: Podcasts To Listen To
Recode Daily: Apple gives the right to repair*
Hackaday Podcast: Deadly Art Projects, Robot Lock Pickers, LED Horticulture, And Good Samaritan Repairs
The Daily Sun Up: New bill aims to help Coloradans who use power wheelchairs
The FTC Could, but Won’t, Use Its Rulemaking Authority to Allow Aftermarket Parts
We used to have a robust aftermarket for non-original equipment manufacturer (OEM) automobile repair parts and “independent” repair services, but car companies have increasingly resorted to design-patent protection to prevent competition in the supply of cosmetic repair parts such as bumpers, hoods, panels, and mirrors. The predictable and intended consequence has been to raise prices and reduce options for consumers, effectively monopolizing the separate repair parts and services markets through federal intellectual-property control over needed ir products or inputs to service markets.
Given the likely lack of political will on the FTC—in light of the likely response of the Supreme Court should the FTC exercise its legislatively conferred power in a consumer-friendly fashion—the use of design patents to restrict the right to repair is a problem that Congress should and must fix. Congress should do so both by adopting a right-to-repair law (such as the Fair Repair Act) and by amending the design-patent act to ensure that the consumer right to repair can be effectuated. (truthonthemarket.com)
Opinion: When Everything Is Software You Don’t Really Own Anything
Apple has chosen to stop providing updates for all 2014 MacBooks. This means, slowly but surely, as more and more other apps get updated, fewer and fewer programs will work on my computer, even though it otherwise works just as well as the day I bought it. We see this with cellphones too. If you owned an iPhone 5 and took perfect care of it, it would be a useless brick now because Apple stopped updating the software for it back in 2017.
If this planned obsolescence were confined to phones and laptops, that would be one thing. But car companies are no longer satisfied selling you a car once, with which you are free to do as you please. Now they want to lock you into a never-ending stream of updates and upgrades, all of which come at a hefty price. (washingtonexaminer.com)
Colorado set to become first state with right-to-repair wheelchair law
A bill on its way to Gov. Jared Polis could make it a lot easier for Jennings and other powered-wheelchair users to repair their equipment. House Bill 1031 would require manufacturers to make parts, tools, repair manuals and digital access available to powered wheelchair owners and independent repairers at reasonable prices.
The bill would require powered wheelchair manufacturers to make parts, software, firmware, tools and documentation accessible to owners and independent repairers. Failure to comply with the regulations would be considered a deceptive trade practice subject to a fine of up to $20,000 for each violation. (Colorado Sun)
Two Behemoths Dominate the Motorized Wheelchair Industry. Disabled Customers Pay the Price.
A sudden loss of mobility can affect everything from wheelchair users’ nutrition to their finances. Pressure sores from long stays in bed can lead to infections, hospitalization, even death. But Howey is one of thousands of disabled Americans increasingly experiencing long waits in a fast-consolidating market dominated by a handful of large national suppliers backed by private equity firms. (Mother Jones)
Automakers look to driver assistance features to lock in OEM parts, repair
But after more than a century, the market for auto glass repair is heating up. And, if automakers have their way, the days of competition in the auto glass replacement market may be ending. Last week, for example, Ford launched a program it calls the Ford Certified Glass Network (FCGN) to “ensure the safe and proper installation of original equipment glass on Ford and Lincoln vehicles.”
What’s changed? And why has Ford introduced a Certified Glass program 118 years after the company’s founding? Blame Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS). The software-based features rely on an array of sensors and cameras mounted on late model vehicles to warn drivers about road hazards and impending collisions, apply automatic braking and more. They’re also threatening to upend the aftermarket parts and service business. (fighttorepair.substack.com)
📖 Match Group suit details Google’s abuse of App Store Monopoly
The American Economic Liberties Project today released the following statement in response to a new lawsuit from Match Group that takes aim at Google’s abuse of its app store monopoly.
“There is simply no question that Google abuses its monopoly control of mobile app stores,” said Pat Garofalo, Director of State and Local Policy at the American Economic Liberties Project. “As Match Group’s suit carefully details, Google forces developers and other businesses to agree to unfair and extortionary terms just to appear in the Google Play store, choking innovation, depressing business dynamism, and undermining job growth in communities across the country. This suit provides an important opportunity for relief, but more must be done.” (economicliberties.us)
Apple's Self Repair Program was never going to be what repair advocates wanted
Apple's Self Service Repair program isn't a perfect solution that addresses all of the concerns from the Right to Repair movement. It was never meant to be.
The iPhone maker launched the Self Service Repair portal in April, allowing customers to order parts, tools, and other resources to repair their own devices.
This move marked a turning point for Apple — a company that has long shied away from making it easy for users to repair their own devices. While some repair advocates have praised Apple's move, others have criticized it as being too difficult and expensive. (Apple Insider)
♻️ The hidden life of our used stuff
Three years ago, the documentary film producer Stacey Tenenbaum reached out to me about her new idea: To travel around the world and document some of the wildest graveyards for our stuff. I was immediately captivated by her vision.
As Stacey gets ready to premiere her film, Scrap, in the U.S., I sat down (on Zoom) with her to talk about the film and how making it has changed how she looks at stuff.
When asked about how making the film impacted her thoughts about consumption and stuff, Stacey said she now views recycling very differently. “Recycling should be the last resort, but it is the thing most people know about. We do it in our homes, and recycling seems to be a good thing. But, for me, recycling is giving up ... That really struck home when I visited an e-waste recycling site in India.” (US PIRG)