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Comment by babypuncher | Hacker News Reader

Here's my attitude: The consumer should have complete control over any hardware and software in any product they buy.

If a manufacturer wants to lock features behind a paywall, that is fine. However, they shouldn't be allowed to complain when consumers modify the thing they bought to get around that paywall. If Tesla really wants to make sure absolutely no one gets FSD or heated seats without paying, then they should make a point of only including the relevant hardware or software in the vehicle at the time of purchase.

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Yep, there would be issue at all if they sold the car and you install FSD with a download and a license key but if it comes with the car that's on you if/when the owner breaks the lock they own to access it.

If you sell me a house with a safe in it and want to charge me for the code that's fine, but if get a welder to just break the door open you have no right to tell me no.

in general you would think this is just a DRM race then between tesla and unlockers. however, with so many of tesla's features existing outside the car, tesla has a lot of leverage. a music cd or blu ray is generally finished content. a tesla is constantly getting software patches and most owners use the app which i'm sure is going through teslas servers

is it reasonable for tesla to lock you out of the app or software updates if the software hash doesn't match what they provide ? would it be okay for them to void the warranty if you run software they didn't provide ?

> is it reasonable for tesla to lock you out of the app or software updates if the software hash doesn't match what they provide ?

Of course, and I don't think anyone here is arguing against that.

> would it be okay for them to void the warranty if you run software they didn't provide ?

There are laws governing this exact thing (in the US it's the Magnuson–Moss Warranty Act), and in general Tesla would have to prove your unauthorized modification caused the failure which you're claiming under warranty.

They can void the warranty, as long as they can prove that my modifications are what actually caused the malfunction I am making a warranty claim on.

I think it was even a post here, because somebody had to fix something on his car, he don't even had the licence to use it.

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