being middle-manned by software - Faiir Repair

This topic was created by Data source #58479374 .

[Anonymous Coward]

being middle-manned by software - Faiir Repair

Devices from Tractors to phones are being middle-manned by software and the intellectual property rights are being used tp stop people repair their own devices

This article on Fair Repair at Australia's ABC website about US farmers and tractors, having to havk their tractors software to repair their machines

http://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2018-02-22/tractor-hacking-farmers-in-the-us-fight-for-right-to-repair/9470658

theRegister covered this iin part with the article By Richard Chirgwin on 6 Jul 2017 at 07:28

European MPs push for right to repair rules - A smartphone should be as fixable as a refrigerator

https://www.theregister.co.uk/2017/07/06/european_mps_push_for_right_to_repair_rules/

It sucks that anything from aircraft to music devices are now dependent upon software for their functional operation - it does not provide a benefit to the user. machines and devices are being middle-manned by software.

There is also Software as a service coming that is to try to prevent fit-for-purpose legislation and bind people to the software manufacturer - doomsday to many.

[Anonymous Coward]

Misuse is such an atomic bomb of a finding

and then there is this from Ars Technica

How a fight over Star Wars download codes could reshape copyright law

https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2018/02/judge-slaps-down-disney-effort-to-stop-resale-of-star-wars-download-codes/

"the little-used doctrine of copyright misuse, which holds that a copyright holder loses the right to enforce a copyright if the copyright is being abused."

...

"Misuse is such an atomic bomb of a finding," Grimmelmann says.

...

"Grimmelmann told us that a finding of misuse prevents any enforcement of a copyright as long as the misuse continues."

...

"The ruling could even have implications for embedded software. Many mobile and "Internet of Things" devices tie copyrighted software to the physical device with which it was sold. The Pregerson ruling implies that device manufacturers could no longer do this, forcing a broad re-think of how device makers write software licenses."

Promoted comment by teh.d Smack-Fu Master, in training et Subscriptor

"This ruling would have implications far beyond entertainment. It would dramatically change how infrastructure like switches, routers, storage arrays, etc, are packaged. Almost anything that is purchased as an "appliance" to store data or act as a switch or perform data protection is mostly standard hardware with all the special sauce being software. But, a customer is almost always buying the appliance as a package deal with the software tied to that one piece of hardware it came with. License agreements prevent re-selling the two separately. In fact, most agreements prevent re-selling the software at all. If this ruling were upheld, it would have an enormous impact on the business models of all the big players, Cisco, Dell/EMC, IBM, HPE, you name it. Whether that is a good or bad thing is an exercise left to the reader."