From Wired:
The FTC Votes Unanimously to Enforce Right to Repair
During an open commission meeting Wednesday, the Federal Trade Commission voted unanimously to enforce laws around the Right to Repair, thereby ensuring that US consumers will be able to repair their own electronic and automotive devices.
The FTC’s endorsement of the rules is not a surprise outcome; the issue of Right to Repair has been a remarkably bipartisan one, and the FTC itself issued a lengthy report in May that blasted manufacturers for restricting repairs. But the 5 to 0 vote signals the commission’s commitment to enforce both federal antitrust laws and a key law around consumer warranties—the Magnuson Moss Warranty Act — when it comes to personal device repairs.
Big fan of this - you pay money for it. You own it. You have the right to modify or repair it.
As for the Magnuson Moss Warranty Act?
The FTC is also encouraging the public to report warranty abuse—as defined by the Magnuson Moss Warranty Act of 1975, which prohibits manufacturers from telling consumers that a warranty is voided if the product has been altered or tampered with by someone other than the original manufacturer.
You read that correctly. Those "Warranty void if tampered with" stickers on a product are illegal in the USA and has been for 45+ years. Manufacturers rely on people not knowing this. I did not know about this until now.
Now if we can just find out who is running the current-day Phoebus cartel for home appliences, things will be a lot better. Phoebus cartel?
The Phoebus cartel was a cartel of, among others, Osram, Philips, and General Electric from December 23, 1924 until 1939 that existed to control the manufacture and sale of light bulbs.
The cartel is an important step in the history of the global economy because it engaged in large-scale planned obsolescence. It reduced competition in the light bulb industry for almost twenty years, and has been accused of preventing technological advances that would have produced longer-lasting light bulbs. Phoebus was a Swiss corporation named "Phoebus S.A. Compagnie Industrielle pour le Développement de l'Éclairage".
In other words, light bulbs "should" last about 2,000 hours. No less and certainly no more. Cuts down on sales 'ya know...
Modern appliances are expected to last about ten years. No less and certainly no more. Ask to have one repaired (I did recently) and receive a sales pitch that there are other elements that will fail and best to just replace the whole thing for only $8,000. This for a heat pump that was only eight years old. That unit replaced a heat pump that was over 30 years old. Go figure.
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