Right to Repair Activity, Alive And Well. Please Join The Effort.

Image from EFF

Right to Repair laws activity is alive well in the country are being proposed all across the country. These will give you and I the ability to replace our own batteries or ask a repair shop to replace your screen without paying exorbitant prices to companies like Apple.
 These laws would restore our ability to fix the things we own by making parts, manuals, and diagnostic software available to consumers and independent repair shops. The fight is being waged coast-to-coast, with small mom-and-pop shops up against some of the most profitable corporations in the history of the world, like Apple and John Deere, who vehemently oppose self repair but allows a 18 year old at genius bar to replace your battery, in a few minutes, the malfunctioning battery that Apple sold you. I am certain a trained tech or you could do the same, safely.

Working very hard for the last few years, the small time Right to Repair coalition has gained a good foothold. Foothold, because we have a long way to go yet. The victories include legalizing cell phone unlocking in Congress, getting the FTC to rule “warranty void if removed” stickers null and void, and convincing the US Copyright office to grant a number of repair exemptions to federal copyright law. In 2018, Right to Repair coalition and supporters made groundbreaking headway on the state level as well, 19 states introduced Right to Repair legislation—a big uptick from 12 repair-friendly states in 2017. There are lot more to work on getting the right to repair in more states. These are the states that gearing up for the battle in 2019; Hawaii, Indiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia. Several more states are in the works. SO if you are living on these states, it is time you get your screw drivers and soldering irons ready.
It is just not a right to repair that is at risk, it is the whole world. The discarded products endup in landfills or in developing countries to cannibalize parts.
I myself have done repairs that once considered taboo in the eyes of Apple, I have replaced numerous notebook batteries for the one forth of the cost at Apple. I have replaced the processors in expensive MAC Pro computers, squeezing more life out of them, far more, much more than Apple wanted me to. What did I need, nothing much, a tool set from iFixIt and the very well documented instructions. I also have helped others to do the same.

more info on right to repair at iFixIt  and of course at  Repair.org. Also do not pass organizations like EFF, Electronic Frontier Foundation