What Does the Right to Repair Really Mean? (with Jeff Westling)

Our devices, smart as they are, break on us, and often the only recourse outside of purchasing a new one is to take our broken tech to a licensed repair shop. But what if the replacement parts for such devices were more readily available or even set up for DIY repair? This is the supposed promise of the legal concept of the “right to repair.” It aims to give individuals the ability to repair and modify purchased products without restrictions from manufacturers or relegation to licensed repair shops. There is a dark side, however. What happens to the intellectual property of the device’s creators? How might third-party parts affect product security? What effects would this have on innovation and competition? To guide us through this debate, we are joined by Jeff Westling, the Director of Technology and Innovation Policy at the American Action Forum, as he draws from his recent article on the subject.

In this episode, Shane walks us through how complicated this question is and what both producers and consumers stand to gain—and lose—as this debate grows.