Good old-fashioned grassroots advocacy is one of the best tools we have right now for making a positive change for our civil liberties online.When weunite toward a shared goal, anything is possible, and the right to repair movement is a prime example of this.
In July of last year, EFF and many otherorganizations celebratedRepair Independence Daytocommemorate both California and Minnesota enacting strong right to repair laws.And, very recently,it was reported thatall 50 stateshave introducedright to repair legislation.Now, not every state haspassedlaws yet, but this signals an important milestone for the movement—we want to fix the stuff we own!
And this movement has had an impactbeyond specificright to repair legislation. In a similar vein, just a few months ago, the U.S. Copyright Office ruled that users can legally repair commercial food preparation equipmentwithout breaking copyright law. Device manufacturers themselves are also starting to feel the pressure andare creatingrepair-friendly programs.
Years ofhard work have made it possible for us to celebrate the right-to-repair movementtime and time again.It's a group effort—folkslikeiFixit,whoprovide repair guidesand repairability scores;the Repair Association,who’vehelped leadthemovement in state legislatures; and of course,people like youwho contact local representatives, are the reason this movement has gained so much momentum.
Woman and child wearing EFF's Fix Copyright t-shirt. Grey shirt with Steamboat Willie fixing a tractor
Fix Copyright! Also available in kids' sizes.
But there's still work that can be done. If you’re itching to fix your devices, you can read up on whatyour state’s repair laws mean for you. You caneducate your friends, family, and colleagues when they’re frustrated at how expensive device repair is. And, of course, you canshow your support for the right to repair movement with EFF’s latest member t-shirt.
We live in a very tumultuous time, so it’s important to celebrate the victories, and it’s equally important to remember that your voice and support can bring about positive change that you want to see.