From Cell Phones to Tractors: The Right to Repair Movement Drives On — Regulatory Oversight Podcast
Podcast: The Briefing from the IP Law Blog - The Right to Repair and More New Exemptions
The Briefing from the IP Law Blog – DMCA: The Right to Repair and More new Exemptions
On June 09, 2025, the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois denied a motion to dismiss filed by a manufacturer of agricultural equipment (“Defendant”) in a right-to-repair action brought by the...more
In this episode of Regulatory Oversight, Stephen Piepgrass is joined by colleagues Brad Weber and Christy Matelis from the firm's Antitrust Practice Group to explore the evolving landscape of right-to-repair laws across the...more
On January 15, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Minnesota, and Illinois filed a lawsuit against Deere & Company (Deere). The complaint, which Michigan, Wisconsin, and Arizona have since joined, accuses Deere of creating...more
OEMs may finally get some clarity in the next couple of months about their obligations under Massachusetts and Maine right to repair laws requiring them to provide owners and independent repair facilities access to mechanical...more
This week, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and Department of Justice (DOJ) submitted a comment to the U.S. Copyright Office to advocate for renewed and expanded exemptions to the Digital Millenium Copyright Act (DCMA),...more
Manufacturers need to be careful in the New Year to start complying with new laws in New York and California expanding consumers’ right to repair certain products. California joined the right-to-repair movement with the...more
Over the last several years, State and Federal legislatures across the country have proposed and adopted laws that will transform and hinder the entire manufacturing industry. The various right-to-repair laws gaining traction...more
New “Right to Repair” legislation worldwide seeks to extend product lifespan and increase circularity, thereby reducing premature waste. The legislation often aims to facilitate consumer and independent company repair of...more
Private plaintiffs and government enforcers are aggressively attempting to revive antitrust theories challenging manufacturers’ policies that impact consumers’ “right to repair.” Manufacturers’ policies that impact how...more
For the past several years, the “right-to-repair” movement has been at odds with many manufacturers of products (such as medical devices, motor vehicles, and equipment) that contain imbedded software and telematics used for...more
As 2022 drew to a close, New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed the Digital Fair Repair Act (the Act), the nation’s first state law related to what advocates call a “right to repair” that broadly applies to consumer...more
The Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) has shifted its attention to repair restrictions. We had a head’s up that the decade-long hiatus was ending. In its July 2021 policy statement and May 2021 report to Congress, the FTC made...more
Key Takeaways: • What Happened: The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) seeks public comment on a proposed expansion of EnergyGuide labeling requirements to new product categories, and a requirement to include repair...more
“Right to repair” is a consumer protection issue that is rapidly picking up steam. In addition to federal legislation that was introduced in 2022, there has been quite a lot of recent state legislative activity. And we have...more
The FTC is focused on ensuring that consumers have options when it comes to repairing products. In 2019, they held a workshop to discuss manufacturer restrictions on repair rights. In a 2021 report, they concluded there was...more
In recent years, a vigorous debate over consumers’ “right to repair” products they have purchased has earned the scrutiny of legislators and regulators, along with the attention of the plaintiffs’ class action bar. Until...more
Last month President Joe Biden made headlines when he reiterated his support for “right-to-repair” rules, which he first announced in a July 2021 executive order (discussed in our previous article here). The executive order...more
We previously covered the emergence of the so-called “Right to Repair” legislative movement, which seeks to allow consumers the right to modify and repair their own electronic devices, rather than relying on the manufacturer...more
On July 21, 2021, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC” or “Commission”) held its second Open Commission Meeting. There were three items on the agenda: (1) whether or not to rescind a 1995 policy statement on prior approval and...more
Following the momentum of President Biden’s sweeping competition executive order, the FTC now wants in on the action. In a unanimous vote, the Commission approved to adopt a policy statement calling for more aggressive...more
President Biden’s July 9, 2021 Executive Order “Promoting Competition in the American Economy,” sets out a policy to encourage market competition by encouraging cooperation between federal agencies and creating the White...more
Last week, President Biden issued an Executive Order on Promoting Competition in the American Economy. As my partner, Elizabeth Haas, points out, the antitrust implications are far reaching. Of the 72 different initiatives...more
President Biden signed into law on Friday, July 9, 2021, a sweeping executive order titled “Executive Order on Promoting Competition in the American Economy,” laying out 72 actions for more than a dozen federal agencies. The...more
Companies watching the “right to repair” legislation proposed in some states should not lose sight of the federal landscape. Last week the FTC released a bipartisan report concluding that there is “scant evidence to support...more