The Right to Repair Panel

Presented at The Circle Of HOPE (2018), July 20, 2018, noon (60 minutes)

It's time we restored ownership rights in a digital world, and that begins with letting us fix our electronics. As companies work to monopolize repair, use copyright law to block access to what we need to fix things, and design products that cannot be repaired, leaders from Right to Repair will share stories on how people are pushing back. They will give a presentation on the current state of Right to Repair legislation across the country and concurrent efforts with the U.S. Copyright Office Section 1201 exemptions to the DMCA. The discussion will include legal principles behind Right to Repair, including antitrust, contract law, warranty law, and how EULA and the DMCA have been weaponized to remove key intrinsic rights of ownership.


Presenters:

  • Kyle Wiens
    **Kyle Wiens** (@kwiens) has dedicated his life to defeating the second law of thermodynamics, a battle fought in the courtroom as often as in the workshop. He has testified on electronic exports to the International Trade Commission and is actively involved in developing global environmental standards. The Right to Repair campaign has, so far, successfully legalized cell phone unlocking and tractor repair.
  • Gay Gordon-Byrne
    **Gay Gordon-Byrne** (@RepairCoalition) is one of the founders of The Repair Association. Among her many career experiences, she was trained as a systems engineer for early IBM mainframes; developed a database of hardware failure rates based on repair records; and bought, sold, and leased equipment and services for independents and OEMs alike. She is the author of Buying, Supporting, Maintaining Software and Equipment: An IT Manager’s Guide to Controlling the Product Lifecycle.
  • Nathan Proctor
    **Nathan Proctor** (@nProctor) directs U.S. PIRG’s efforts to support the Right to Repair. U.S. PIRG is a national network of state advocacy organizations that uses the time-tested tools of investigative research, media exposes, grassroots organizing, advocacy, and litigation to stand up to powerful interests to win results. Nathan brings 13 years of campaign experience to the position and lives in Arlington, Massachusetts.

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