[Answered] In recent years, countries around the world have been attempting to pass effective ‘right to repair’ laws. What is the ‘right to repair’ movement? Why is the demand for the right to repair swelling worldwide?

The right to repair movement traces its roots back to the very dawn of the computer era in the 1950s. The goal of the movement is to get companies to make spare parts, tools and information on how to repair devices to increase the lifespan of products and to keep them from ending up in landfills.

It is evident that manufacturing an electronic device is a highly polluting process because it makes use of polluting sources of energy, such as fossil fuel, which has an adverse impact on the environment. Right to repair advocates are of the view that electronic manufacturers are encouraging a culture of ‘planned obsolescence’, which means that devices are specifically designed to replace in future. This leads to immense pressure on the environment and wasted natural resources. Price is a major factor propounded by these activists. As there is a lack of competition in the repair market, consumers are not able to hunt for the best deal.

Why is there demand for the ‘right to repair’?

• Economical aspect: Consumers spend large sums of money on technology that becomes obsolete within a few years. It is either unreasonably expensive or impossible to repair defects in these products, forces them to discard their devices and purchase new ones that they would not ordinarily require.
• Consumer exploitation: In the absence of competition, manufacturers charge excessive costs for repairs and leave customers with no cheaper self-repair or third-party alternatives, resulting in consumer exploitation.
• Sustainable: Repairing electronics gets back into the hands of people who can use them and keep them out of landfills.
• Job creation: This will help boost business for small repair shops, which are an important part of local economies.
• Curbing environmental pollution: It will help reduce the vast amount of electrical waste (e-waste).

While India has statutorily not recognized the right to repair, other countries like USA, Europe have either introduced policies that recognize the right or tabled draft legislation recognizing the same. A well-drafted legislation will not only uphold the right to repair but may aid in striking a much-needed balance between intellectual property and competitive laws in the country.