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When New York became the first state to pass a substantially amended Right to Repair bill late last year, it was clear that lobbyists had succeeded in changing details of the law at the last minute. A new report from the online magazine Grist details how Gov. Kathy Hochul made the same changes proposed by tech industry groups.
In a report co-published with the nonprofit newsroom The Markup, Maddie Stone said the document on the drafting and debate of the bill said many of the changes Hochul signed were proposed by TechNet, which represents Apple, Google and Samsung. It is written that it shows that it is the same as what was done. , and other technology companies.
The bill would have required companies that provide parts, tools, manuals, and diagnostic equipment or software to their repair networks to make them available to independent repair shops and individuals as well. Previously, there was fierce opposition from industry groups. Patricia Faye, the New York legislator who sponsored the bill, told Grist that her supporters would have to “make a lot of changes in June to reach her goal in a day or two.” there is,” he said. The bill passed with broad bipartisan support, but was scaled back to focus only on small electronics.
Between its passage and signing in December, lobbyists working for TechNet, Apple, Google, Microsoft and other companies met with the governor, according to the state ethics report. Apple, IBM, and TechNet asked his Hochul to veto the bill, and Microsoft tried to work with his Fahy on the changes.
TechNet then sent out a version of the bill that limited the impact to later products and excluded printed circuit boards and business-to-business or government contracts, Grist said. Importantly, the new version, with changes attributed to TechNet’s vice president, allows companies to provide “assemblies” of parts if they say they pose a “safety risk.” That’s it. TechNet’s version also suggests that independent repair shops should be compelled to provide customers with “written notice of U.S. warranty laws” before they begin work.
TechNet’s proposal has been submitted to the Federal Trade Commission. FTC officials took aim at assembly clauses, security workaround exclusions for repairs, and other factors. Dan Salsburg, lead attorney for the FTC’s Office of Technology, Research, and Investigation, wrote that TechNet’s proposals “have a common theme of ensuring manufacturers control the repair market for their products.” I’m here.
A TechNet executive told Grist that the original New York bill “posed unacceptable risks to the privacy and security of consumer data.” TechNet’s Chris Gilrein told his Grist that even the final law “restricts itself to state-mandated transfers of intellectual property … giving consumers access to more repair options than ever before.” when,” he said.
The New York State Senate has yet to pass the amendment bill, but it is widely expected to do so. State regulators may be able to clarify aspects of the bill in the final version. And advocates of repair and environmentalism hope New York’s first bill, even if awkwardly pointed out, will spark similar debates and laws in other states.
You can read more about the New York repair bill and see exactly how the lobbyist’s words were reflected verbatim into the final wording of the grist.
Disclosure: The author previously worked for iFixit, a repair company. He has no financial interest in the company.
