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SILICON CHIP www.siliconchip.com.au Editor Emeritus Leo Simpson, B.Bus., FAICD Publisher/Editor Nicholas Vinen Technical Editor John Clarke, B.E.(Elec.) Technical Staff Jim Rowe, B.A., B.Sc Bao Smith, B.Sc Tim Blythman, B.E., B.Sc Technical Contributor Duraid Madina, B.Sc, M.Sc, PhD Art Director & Production Manager Ross Tester Reader Services Ann Morris Advertising Enquiries Glyn Smith Phone (02) 9939 3295 Mobile 0431 792 293 glyn<at>siliconchip.com.au Regular Contributors Dave Thompson David Maddison B.App.Sc. (Hons 1), PhD, Grad.Dip.Entr.Innov. Geoff Graham Associate Professor Graham Parslow Ian Batty Cartoonist Brendan Akhurst Silicon Chip is published 12 times a year by Silicon Chip Publications Pty Ltd. ACN 626 922 870. ABN 20 880 526 923. All material is copyright ©. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the written consent of the publisher. Subscription rates: $105.00 per year, post paid, in Australia. For overseas rates, see our website or email silicon<at>siliconchip.com.au Editorial office: Unit 1 (up ramp), 234 Harbord Rd, Brookvale, NSW 2100. Postal address: PO Box 139, Collaroy Beach, NSW 2097. Phone (02) 9939 3295. E-mail: silicon<at>siliconchip.com.au ISSN 1030-2662 * Recommended & maximum price only. Editorial Viewpoint We all deserve a right to repair In the December 2018 issue, I lambasted the European Union public service for penalising Google for anti-competitive practices. I argued that Google did more to promote competition than stifle it. Well, this time I am going to say something nice about the EU. I applaud their new legislation giving consumers and business a “right to repair” the goods that they purchase. It is heartening to see that some people in the EU feel so strongly about this that they organised protests when it looked like the legislation might not be passed! Several US states also have similar laws, mainly in reaction to various companies abusing the 1998 DMCA copyright act in an attempt to prevent people from fixing their own equipment. In case you are not aware, the US/Australian “free trade agreement” (AUSFTA) of late 2017 had the result of making many of the provisions of the US DMCA into Australian law. So it affects us too. The reason why companies make devices hard to repair can be summed up in one word: money. If you can’t repair your product, you’ll either have to buy a new one or use their expensive repair service. Either way, they make out like bandits. And they can do all sorts of things to prevent repairs – encrypt software, use parts with restricted supply, refuse to provide service manuals etc. But as the people promoting this new EU law have helpfully pointed out, this is a very wasteful practice, resulting in a lot of equipment being thrown away which could otherwise be repaired. And it’s also a waste of money for consumers. You only have to read this month’s Serviceman column for a good example. The manufacturer wanted to charge $2000 for a new part when our correspondent was able to repair it with a $70 replacement LCD screen and a bit of knowledge and patience. See the following (short) related article: http:// siliconchip.com.au/link/aanl My biggest concern with manufacturers making it difficult for their products to be repaired is not so much the expense, but the idea that once they decide it’s no longer worthwhile for them to offer a repair service for a particular product, you will have no recourse if yours breaks. Motor vehicles are of particular concern. If you own a classic car from the 60s (say), you will generally not have much trouble fixing it if it breaks. You may have some difficulty getting new parts, but there are many companies which step in to supply replacement parts when the originals are no longer being made. So they generally are available. But imagine if you have a classic car from the 2010s still running in 2050 (assuming we’re still allowed to drive then!) and one of its many computers fails. Even if you can replace the parts which are broken, can you still get the required software? And what if you do manage to fix it, only to find that other computers in the vehicle detect the change and refuse to operate? I would like to see manufacturers release all proprietary information about electronic and mechanical devices once they no longer offer a repair service. That includes circuit diagrams and required firmware. This information should be sufficient for a qualified third party to fix any fault. After all, if they are no longer supporting their product, they have effectively abandoned it. Hopefully, we will get a “right to repair” in Australia some time soon! For more information on the new EU legislation, see: siliconchip.com.au/ link/aann And for general information about the movement, see: siliconchip.com. au/link/aano Printing and Distribution: Nicholas Vinen Derby Street, Silverwater, NSW 2148. 4 Silicon Chip Australia’s electronics magazine siliconchip.com.au