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State of Repair is Motherboard's exploration of DIY culture, device repair, ownership, and the forces fighting to lock down access to the things you own.
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"For years, manufacturers have been insisting that they will get farmers what they need to fix their tractors,” Kevin O'Reilly, Right to Repair Campaign Director at U.S. PIRG, told Motherboard. “They claim that they're 98% of the way there. But farmers keep saying that they don't have what they need—and they're getting tired of waiting. With the introduction of this bill, Sen. Tester is going to bat for those American farmers. The Senate should follow his lead and pass this commonsense reform."“Farmers are the ultimate fixers,” Kyle Wiens, CEO of iFixit told Motherboard. “They are immensely capable, but manufacturers are taking advantage of new technology to cut them off from repairing their own equipment. Senator Tester's bill will help farmers regain their independence.”This new law, should it pass, would force John Deere and other manufacturers to let farmers repair their own equipment. It would require companies that make agricultural equipment to make everything available to the farmer that is currently used by the dealer. Critically, it would make manufacturers provide software and documentation at “costs that are equivalent to the lowest actual cost for which the OEM offers the part, tool, software, or documentation to an authorized repair provider.”When it comes to software, the bill requires “the software tool is made available by the OEM at no charge and without requiring authorization or internet access for use or operation of the software tool, or imposing impediments to access or use.”This legislation is just the latest in a long line of new right-to-repair legislation. After years of electronics, car, and agricultural manufacturers maintaining robust repair monopolies, legislators are finally addressing the problem. Right-to-repair bills are working their way through several U.S. state houses, a national bill is being considered in Congress, and President Biden has repeatedly affirmed his support of changing America’s laws to make it easier for people to fix their own stuff.