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The formatting is ridiculously bad, which makes it extremely hard to read: Subsections within subsections within subsections with approximately zero indentation.This is normal for legislation. The problem is that fairly often they end up with subsectioning so deep that you're running into the right margin -- I got about six levels deep -- so they simply don't do it. However, it's still standard to produce bills in PDF.
It does get easier with practice, but I still find myself copying and pasting into a text editor to reformat it. It actually is a helpful exercise just to read the law.
It's similar to reading a really long SQL query. Nobody formats them the way you prefer, so format them as you read and you'll force yourself to read the query with enough attention to understand it. It's simply the best way to read the things.
> Anyway, as far as I can tell, this law defines an independent repair provider as someone with a valid and unexpired certification demonstrating that they have the “technical capabilities and competence necessary to safely, securely and reliably repair consumer electronic equipment” and that the manufacturer is allowed to decide which certifications they trust.
That's true, but it also says:
"An original equipment manufacturer shall make available to an owner or an independent repair provider on fair and reasonable terms any documentation, tool, part or other device or implement that the original equipment manufacturer makes available to an authorized service provider for the purpose of diagnosing, maintaining, repairing or updating consumer electronic equipment that the original equipment manufacturer makes or sells and that is sold or used in this state."
The critical bit is that they have to supply owners, too.
“Fair and reasonable terms” means:
A) Makes documentation available at no charge [except cost to prep and print]
B) Makes tools for diagnosing, maintaining, repairing or updating consumer electronic equipment available at no charge and without impeding access to the tools or the efficient and cost-effective use of the tools [except cost to prep and ship]
C) Makes parts available directly or through an authorized service provider to independent repair providers or an owner at costs and on terms that are equivalent to the most favorable costs and terms at which the original equipment manufacturer offers the parts to an authorized service provider [with a bunch of limitations that try to ensure the OEM can't cheat]. Oh, and [there's limtations that authorized service providers have to be fair and reasonable to owners and independent repair providers, too].
AND, they can no longer use parts pairing to prevent third party replacement parts.
So:
1. An owner has a right to documentation at cost
2. An owner has a right to tools at cost
3. An owner has a right to replacement parts
4. Replacement parts going forward (essentially) can't employ parts pairing.
So, yeah the manufacturer doesn't have to have an authorized service provider, and doesn't have to support independent repair services. BUT THEY STILL HAVE TO OFFER DOC, TOOLS, AND PARTS.
Oh, and if the OEM doesn't have any authorized service providers, then the OEM is the authorized service provider.