Buying a product once meant owning something you could open, understand and repair. In the digital economy, ownership is more complicated. A farmer may own a tractor but depend on authorised software to diagnose it. A phone owner may be able to replace a part physically but find that the device rejects it electronically. Hospitals, wheelchair users and small repair shops can face similar barriers.
The American right-to-repair movement is challenging that system. Its central argument is simple: when people buy a product, they should have a practical choice about who repairs it.
What “right to repair” actually means
Right-to-repair policies generally seek access to replacement parts, diagnostic tools, service manuals and software on fair and reasonable terms. They do not necessarily require every repair to be easy or risk-free, and they do not erase intellectual-property or safety rules. The goal is to prevent manufacturers from using unnecessary restrictions to make independent repair impossible.
The Federal Trade Commission’s “Nixing the Fix” report examined manufacturer explanations for repair restrictions. The agency later adopted a policy statement supporting stronger enforcement against unlawful restrictions, arguing that repair choice can lower costs, reduce electronic waste, shorten delays and create opportunities for local businesses.
Why modern products are harder to repair
Many devices are smaller, more integrated and more software-dependent than earlier products. Some design choices improve performance or safety. Others make parts difficult to replace, require proprietary tools or link a component’s serial number to the original device—a practice often called parts pairing.
Manufacturers raise legitimate concerns about cybersecurity, privacy, product safety and poor-quality replacement parts. Advocates respond that those concerns should be addressed with standards and clear information rather than a blanket monopoly over repair. The debate is not simply “companies versus consumers”; it is about where to draw the line between protection and control.
America’s state-by-state experiment
The United States does not have one comprehensive national repair law covering every product. Instead, states have developed a patchwork of rules. Some focus on consumer electronics, while others address vehicles, agricultural equipment or powered wheelchairs. Scope and exemptions vary considerably.
This creates both momentum and complexity. A successful state law can become a model for others. At the same time, manufacturers selling nationwide must navigate different requirements, and consumers may have different rights depending on where they live and what they own.
The patchwork also reveals how broad the issue has become. Repair access is no longer only a concern for hobbyists. It can affect a wheelchair user waiting for essential mobility equipment, a farmer during harvest, a school managing laptops or a family deciding whether to repair or replace an expensive appliance.
Europe is moving in the same direction
The European Union’s repair-of-goods directive entered into force in 2024, and member states were required to apply implementing measures from 31 July 2026. The framework is designed to make repair easier and more attractive for covered products, encourage longer product life and reduce premature disposal.
The European and American systems are different, but companies operate across both markets. Rules adopted in one large market can influence product design, documentation and spare-parts systems elsewhere. If manufacturers build more repairable products for Europe, American consumers may benefit; if U.S. states develop effective rules, European policymakers may study the results.
The environmental argument
Repair is also a resource issue. Replacing a device often requires new mining, manufacturing, packaging and transport. Extending product life can reduce waste and delay those impacts. Repair will not solve the entire electronic-waste problem—some devices are inefficient or genuinely beyond safe use—but it can make the economy less disposable.
What consumers should ask
Before buying an expensive product, consumers can look beyond specifications and price. Are replacement batteries and screens available? Does the manufacturer publish manuals? How long will software support continue? Can an independent shop obtain diagnostic access? Does opening the product automatically affect warranty rights?
Those questions turn repairability into a competitive feature. The right-to-repair movement may ultimately succeed not only through legislation, but by changing what buyers expect from ownership.
Ownership in the software age
The deeper issue is whether ownership still means control. As physical products become bundles of hardware, software and cloud services, the answer is no longer obvious. Right-to-repair laws are one attempt to restore balance—protecting legitimate safety and security interests while ensuring that “buying” a product is more than renting it on the manufacturer’s terms.