Right to Repair Issue Affects U.S. Military

According to TechDirt, ownership of items has been inheriting more and more restrictions.

TechDirt writer Mike Masnick blames these restrictions on copyright laws and warranty claims, including the commonly seen “warranty void if removed” warning. These laws prove to be especially problematic when people aren’t able to fix or improve items that they’ve bought and officially own.

Masnick says that instances of “right to repair” restriction are even being seen in the U.S. military. He points to an op-ed in the New York Times, where a U.S. logistics officer in the Marine Corps shared how these laws made it difficult for the military to repair its own equipment. In one instance, the officer noted how equipment that had broken down in Japan were packaged and shipped to the U.S. because of details mentioned in the equipment contract. The process of getting that equipment fixed took months, and prevented Marines from practicing skills “they might need one day on the battlefield.”

Piggy-backing on the op-ed, Masnick mentions that these restrictions have intensified because companies are trying harder to block people’s right to fix what they own, and because of a growing trend to move research and development out of the military into the commercial sector; as a result of this trend, the military is forced to purchase items from the commercial sector. From there, it is now bound to commercial contracts that come with its purchases.

Masnick says that the notion of the “contract right” overriding our “right to repair” is “ridiculous and truly an attack on actual property rights and ownership.” He says that people should not be bound by contracts, and should have the freedom to modify items they own. This would give power back to the owner, and enable them to use their items as needed. In the military’s case, removing commercial contracts would help service members do their jobs, and make sure gear is ready to perform during missions.

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