Right to repair is on the rise globally

This article was updated on June 13, 2024 (new paragraph about Aotearoa New Zealand)

People are fighting for the right to repair, not only in Europe. The fight for repairable items and access to repair information and spare parts is being waged worldwide.

The United States is leading the way here. Three of the 50 states now have laws regulating the right to repair: New York was the first to pass such a law in December 2022. Minnesota followed in May 2023, and California at the beginning of October. With this, the right to repair now benefits nearly 20 per cent of all Americans.

California: repair equipment must be available for up to 7 years

Of the three, the Californian law is the most far-reaching in its aims. It covers all electronic products and devices costing more than $50. Manufacturers must make repair materials ­ –parts, tools and repair information – available for all such products for up to three years after production. For products above $100, it even extends to seven years. This applies to all items produced after July 1, 2021.

California Governor Gavin Newsom signed the new law in early October 2023

Repair platform iFixit thinks the new laws will also benefit those outside New York, Minnesota, and California. “We expect manufacturers to adapt quickly to apply the New York law nationwide by posting service documentation online and selling repair parts,” writes co-founder Kyle Wiens on the iFixit website.

iFixit points out that Apple, Google, Valve and Samsung have already rolled out public home repair programmes in response to the New York law.

Australia: lots of plans but no laws yet

The right to repair is also a hot topic in Australia. Action groups, including the Australian Repair Network, have been making their case for years. A special committee advising the Australian government published a research report back in 2021 that showed that repair is significantly hampered in many products.

The report contained all kinds of recommendations, such as that independent repairers should have more comprehensive access to repair supplies and that new products should be labelled with information on sustainability and repairability. But this has yet to lead to actual right-to-repair legislation.

However, Australia does have a regulation in place since 2022 that gives all auto repairers fair access to the information needed to service and repair vehicles.

Aotearoa New Zealand: campaign in progress

Aotearoa New Zealand is working on Right to Repair legislation as well. In April 2024, a new bill was introduced to Parliament, bringing Aotearoa New Zealand one step closer to this right. This proposed law seeks to change the Consumer Guarantees Act to require manufacturers to make spare parts and repair information available to consumers and to independent repairers so that more things can be fixed. The Repair Network Aotearoa has started a campaign to improve this bill and to help it become law.

Canada: bill pending

Canada is following a similar path. There are plans to amend the Copyright Act to provide for the right to repair electronics, household appliances, and farm equipment. The House of Commons passed a proposal for amendments in October. A technical committee has yet to study it, after which the Senate must also decide.

Repairability of farm equipment is very important to farmers

India: committee working on proposals

India’s Ministry of Consumer Affairs plans to legislate the Right to Repair. A committee has been mandated to develop proposals. The committee is initially focusing on farm equipment, mobile phones and tablets, cars, and consumer durables such as household appliances, furniture, tools, and toys.