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Comment by barumrho | Hacker News Reader

I hope there is some clause that exempts small manufacturers from having to comply...

if i buy a device from a startup, why should they be exempt from providing service manuals, batteries, etc, if they haven’t, say, made enough profit from the device first?

frankly, it’s the smaller players who are more likely to go under, like Vanmoof, where as the consumer i’m MORE in need of the right to repair it myself.

I’ve run into this personally with a Rapsodo golf launch monitor with a faulty battery, where i attempted to replace it myself. I couldn’t find the battery online and the company refused to sell me just the battery. They said i had to buy a new device.

Why? They should be forced to release schematics, software, and firmware if they can't handle the repairs themselves. This will allow someone to repair it without assistance from the manufacturer.

So they can invest in developing a new product, release all the software, schematics, and firmware, and have a factory in China produce a perfect knock-off in a split second?

Why develop anything new when copying someone else’s work is so much more lucrative?

IMO the core of right to repair should be more focused on preventing anti-competitive artificial barriers to repair, not forcing companies to give away their secret sauce.

If it's a 'one-off' product, why should they care if someone copies it?

And unless your product is covered under a patent (and even if it is), China's going to knock it off anyway.

Wait, what? Why should Inas a consumer have fewer rights because I bought a product from a smaller company? Should small airlines have less stringent safety regulations?

It would depend on the extent to which the consumer is a willing participant in the trade offs. It’s unreasonable for every passenger to assess the safety of different airlines in making a decision on who to fly with, but if you’re buying a niche smartphone you’re probably more aware of the trade offs.

Also running a small batch of non-RtR compliant phones is probably going to result in a more expensive device than a mass produced RtR device due to economies of scale, whereas I’d guess it’s much easier for a small airline to undercut competitors by foregoing safety checks, so there’s more adverse incentives in the airline case.

Rules that vary based on company size are common.

https://blog.execustaffhr.com/legal-compliance-based-on-your...

This is mostly done to not suffocate small companies.

A bad analogy if I may, we have less expectations with kids than with adults.

Small airplanes only require one pilot, even operating commercially, so in some senses, yes, smaller airlines are afforded some leeway.

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