Console Makers Lobbying Against Right-to-Repair Bill

It appears that Apple is not the only company that is unhappy with the recent Right-to-repair bill being introduced in several American states. The trade organization Entertainment Software Association which includes console-makers Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo and a dozen other game developers have brought on lobbyists in Nebraska to oppose a bill that will require manufacturers to sell replacement parts to independent repair companies as well as consumers at the same price they are sold to authorized repair centers. This bill also proposes to make diagnostic manuals public and make software/firmware locks illegal.

Although a similar legislation is being introduced in seven other state houses, namely New York, Minnesota, Wyoming, Tennessee, Kansas, Massachusetts, and Illinois, it is furthest along in Nebraska so if the bill passes there, all other states are most likely to follow. Aside from these console makers and video game developers, these groups are also lobbying against the right-to-repair bill:

• CompTIA
• CTIA
• NetChoice
• Information Technology Industry Council
• Satellite and Broadcast Communications Association
• TechNet
• Consumer Technology Association
• Toy Industry Association
• State Privacy and Security Coalition

VICE magazine’s Motherboard has obtained a letter written to Senator Lydia Brasch of Nebraska by these groups urging to vote against the right-to-repair bill, citing “consumer safety” and calls it an unnecessary compromise in intellectual property.

“Manufacturers have strong concerns about independent service providers who may take risks or cut corners leaving themselves or consumers in danger if they perform service without the proper training or safety standards,”

The powerful groups are not going unnoposed. Groups such as the Electronic Frontier Foundation and companies such as iFixit have been fighting for the right to repair bill to push through.

“Lawmakers get spun stories by lobbyists who say the sky is falling, and it’s very easy to kill legislation. This is not a case of right vs. left or a fringe interest group pushing it,” According to iFixit CEO Kyle Wiens. “Everyone wants to be allowed to fix their stuff, and there’s only a few organizations that don’t want them to be able to. It’s very transparent why manufacturers are against this.”