[Linux-aus] Right to Repair (draft report by Productivity Commission)

[Info]

I am thinking about the following. Three submissions. Updates. Replaceability. Price disclosure.

* Manufacturers should state in the sales lit/specs exactly how long the customer will get updates 
for BIOS/firmware/security.

* If updates are not available for a reasonable time, say 10 years, the manufacturer should 
facilitate an alternative. The alternative might be support for open source software.

* All BIOS/firmware loaders should be open source to allow porting to any operating system.

* The specs for all USB devices should include the USB ID.

* The most common replacements are batteries and storage. The device description/specs should state 
how batteries and storage are replaced or have a big warning that they are not replaceable.

* For potential purchasers of handheld devices and electric cars, the manufacturer should either 
publish the cost of a replacement battery (a future shock for Tesla owners) or publish the 
specifications so that other suppliers can make plug compatible batteries, just like the batteries 
in current cars and old Samsungs.

On 11/6/21 10:09 am, Glenn via linux-aus wrote:
> The productivity Commission has been conducting an enquiry into the
> right to repair in Australia, and have come up with a draft report,
> available at the following link.
> https://www.pc.gov.au/inquiries/current/repair
> 
> They have been looking at software related issues as a part of the
> investigation, and have some information requests.
> 
> If you can handle responding to reports like this, or know someone who
> can, i encourage your to have a look, productivity commission has a lot
> of influence, opportunities for change in this area don't come around
> very often and things wont change unless we can articulate how its
> broken.
> 
> Some key points ive noticed from a quick look, the second one (5.1) is
> most important which is talking about changing copyright law.
> 
> INFORMATION REQUEST 3.1 REPAIR FACILITIES, SPARE PARTS AND SOFTWARE
> UPDATES
> To better understand whether consumers have reasonable access to repair
> facilities, spare parts and software updates, the Commission is seeking
> further information on:
> • <snip>
> • <snip>
> • whether consumers are experiencing problems using their products due
> to a software fault or lack of software updates, including specific
> examples where manufacturers have not addressed the problem because of
> claims that it is not covered by consumer guarantees
> • the costs and benefits of requiring that software updates be provided
> by manufacturers for a reasonable period of time after the product has
> been purchased.
> 
> INFORMATION REQUEST 5.1 IMPROVING ACCESS TO REPAIR INFORMATION
> The Commission is considering recommending amendments to intellectual
> property laws to improve access to repair information through the
> options outlined in draft finding 5.2.
> It is seeking views on each option, in particular:
> • whether the proposed reform options will assist repairers in
> accessing repair information, and therefore facilitate third-party
> repair
> • what types of contractual arrangements that could override such
> reforms are most likely to be of concern
> • the costs, benefits and risks of pursuing each option.
> 
> The draft finding its referring to is;
> 
> DRAFT FINDING 5.2 OPTIONS TO IMPROVE ACCESS TO REPAIR INFORMATION
> There are two main options to amend intellectual property protections
> to improve access to repair information.
> • Amend the Copyright Act 1968 to allow for the reproduction and
> sharing of repair information, through the introduction of a fair use
> exception or a repair-specific fair dealing exception.
> • Amend the Copyright Act 1968 to allow repairers to legally procure
> tools required to access repair information protected by technological
> protection measures (TPMs), such as digital locks. This may also
> require the Australian Government to clarify the scope and intent of
> the existing (related) exception for circumventing TPMs for the
> purpose of repair.
> To reduce the risk of manufacturers using contractual arrangements
> (such as confidentiality agreements) to ‘override’ the operation of any
> such reforms, it may also be beneficial to amend the Copyright Act 1968
> to prohibit the use of contract terms that restrict repair-related
> activities otherwise permitted under copyright law
> 
> 
> Cheers
> 
> Glenn
> 
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