[olug] Fwd: Please support Nebraska's Fair Repair bill

[Dan Linder]

I believe the "Fair Repair" bill has been mentioned here, but last week I
hear on the Daily Tech News Show (DTNS) podcast their discussion about our
bill and the impact it will have on farmers.  My e-mail back to Ms.
Crawford is below, as well as a link to the DTNS episode where they
discussed it in more lay-person terms.

If someone thinks the right to repair is only about small consumer
electronics, think again.

Dan

Forwarded conversation
Subject: Re: Please support Nebraska's Fair Repair bill
------------------------
From: *Dan Linder* <dan at linder.org>
Date: Sun, Jul 24, 2016 at 12:49 PM
To: Sue Crawford <scrawford at leg.ne.gov>
Cc: feedback at dailytechnewsshow.com


Ms. Crawford,

Thanks for your response on the "Fair Repair" bill.  I'd like to add a few
more comments in favor of this bill.

In the late 60's or early 70's a friend of the family located in the Grand
Island area invented and started selling "head changers" to let farmers mix
the brand of combine and cutting heads so they could use the best
combination for their fields or share with neighbors.  (
http://www.bishenterprise.com/head-adpaters.asp)

Innovations like this allowed farmers to not only use the most cost
effective equipment, but it ensured that if they had a breakdown of one
piece they could borrow one from a neighbor even if it was a different
brand.  Or they could gradually convert from one brand to another without
requiring a complete repurchase all at once.  (Sound familiar?  We have to
do something similar if we upgrade some technologies - the Apple "30-pin"
to "lightning" connectors are a good example of this.)

Without the "Fair Repair" bill in effect, manufacturers will slowly
increase the controls and will essentially lock someone in to one brand of
farm equipment.  And at some point, it's entirely possible for them to
"license" the use of these interchangeable pieces only to one farmer or a
limited set of machinery.

Future discussion between farmers: "*Sorry Ken, I'd let you borrow my head
for your combine, but I've already registered it with my combine and my
sons.  But, if you're willing to pay the $500 seasonal license extension
I'll add you on when the shop opens on Monday...*"  So much for the
neighborly farm community I grew up in in the 70's.

And to let you know that this topic has nation-wide attention, I'd like to
point you to a technology podcast I listen to daily, the "Daily Tech News
Show" (DTNS).  The main host of this show, Tom Merritt found the "Modern
Farmer" article about the over-use of the DMCA by John Deere to limit
farmers abilities to do much with their equipment other than bring them
back in to the John Deere repair shop for work (
http://modernfarmer.com/2016/07/right-to-repair/).

What I found funny is that the photo at the top of the page shows a John
Deere tractor with what looks to be a Case disk harrow - exactly the type
of thing that could be eliminated by a "Fair Repair" bill in the future.

The video discussion where Mr. Merritt and co-host Scott Johnson talk about
this on their nation-wide (actually, world-wide) talk show is linked here:
    https://youtu.be/RYHCoGYA_fQ?t=26m45s
<https://youtu.be/RYHCoGYA_fQ?t=26m45s>

Thanks for your time - I feel that the "Fair Repair" bill is necessary not
only for those of us who want to repair a $200 cell phone or stereo, but
also for the farming community hoping to get another season or two out of a
$250,000 tractor.

Thank you,
Dan Linder
Bellevue, NE
-- 
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"If a problem has no solution, it may not be a problem,
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----------
From: *Sue Crawford* <scrawford at leg.ne.gov>
Date: Mon, Jul 25, 2016 at 10:23 AM
To: Dan Linder <dan at linder.org>


Dan,
Thank you for all of the resources on Fair Repair.  I will file these so we
can access them when the bill comes up again.

All the best,
Sue Crawford

Senator Sue Crawford
District 45
Room 1212, Nebraska State Capitol
scrawford at leg.ne.gov
402.471.2615

My legislative blog: *http://news.legislature.ne.gov/dist45/
<http://news.legislature.ne.gov/dist45/>*
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*Effective. Engaged. Evidence-Driven.*





-- 
***************** ************* *********** ******* ***** *** **
"If a problem has no solution, it may not be a problem,
  but a fact - not to be solved, but to be coped with
  over time." - Shimon Peres

"Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?"
    (Who can watch the watchmen?)
    -- from the Satires of Juvenal

"I do not fear computers, I fear the lack of them."
    -- Isaac Asimov (Author)
** *** ***** ******* *********** ************* *****************