Procurement to the Rescue of the Right To Repair

 I've provided several written and oral testimony on behalf of "Right To Repair" Laws in several states. What prepares me for the discussion is over 3 decades of interest in Warranty Law, Planned Obsolescence, Trademark and Patent Law.

Here's the thing. Most of the testimony in favor of Right To Repair is based on past Planned Obsolescence techniques. Most of the testimony AGAINST Right to Repair is based on scary things that might occur in the future, if OEMs are forced to stop blocking independents (who according to OEM TV ads are far more likely to stalk you than OEM repair shops).

But the VERY SCARY future is based on what Planned Obsolescence has in mind. 

Surgeons and Grave Diggers

An e-waste repair and refurbishment technician is not a primitive wire burning operation, no matter how "informal" you label them.

The repair and refurbishing jobs are among the best and highest paid in the developing world.  The wire burning and acid recycling jobs are not (though they are probably still better than mining).

If the successful brain surgeon (Dr. Ben Carson) fails to save a patient, it may be from improper triage (e.g. sending a patient who was too far gone).  You don't ban the practice of surgery, and you don't say that he's a grave digger.