First Right-to-Repair Law Passed, Bans Manufacturers From Forcing In-House Repairs

It seems as if, in certain instances, manufacturers do all that they can in order to have the consumer rely on the manufacturer for repair of whatever it is that the manufacturer might sell. Whether it’s cars or more commonly, farm tractors, those who produce the end product would like to keep the ability to repair their goods in their own hands.

As one might imagine, this has created a bit of upheavel in the communities which it impacts. For example, for farmers who rely on their equipment and have tight windows of time when they might be able to harvest a crop, waiting weeks for the dealer to come out and work on a machine just isn’t an option. In fact, such a situation could cause a massive loss as crops could go bad while waiting for an integral piece of equipment to be repaired.

Because of this, there has been a big legal battle that has been attempting to put the power back in the hands of the consumer. With the idea of “right-to-repair,” essentially, manufacturers will be forced to provide necessary manuals, tools, parts, and software so that farmers will be able to fix their own machines.

Until now, this has just been a debate. However, Colorado has recently become the first state to pass right-to-repair laws in support of farmers.

Even though this might seem like an issue that only impacts a niche community, it’s definitely an important one to keep an eye on. What we are watching is precedent being set as it might apply to other industries as well. You never know when car manufacturers or any other industry, for that matter, might decide that they want a little bit of extra revenue and do everything they can to block third-party repair shops.

Below, we tune in with YouTube lawyer, Steve Lehto, who dives into the topic a little bit more in depth.