http://www.righttorepair.org/main/
Anyway about the bill. It would make car companies give up and put things into a database like key codes (what you need to program a new key), engine codes (those little cryptic numbers you get after you scan a car using a check engine light), radio codes (what you need to be able to use the car radio after it has been removed) as well schematics to the design of cars so that little "mom and pop" shops can repair you vehicle.
This is a bad thing for several reasons. Car dealerships employ huge amount of people directly and through proxy. Now a car dealership makes on average from what the owner told me "roughly $600 profit on every car sold" that is without marking it up to a point that is unreasonable. So the dealership depends hugely on the service department to keep alive. If you have no reason to go to car dealership because you can get the info anywhere the dealership was lose money till the point where it will no longer exist and many people will lose their jobs. Domino effect goes into play and everyone starts to lose money.
Why you'll never get another GM from this;
If dealership cannot stay open because the service department cannot produce to make up for the weakness of the sales department (and in this economy, I'm surprised cars salesmen everywhere haven't committed mass suicide.) you will never get another huge employer and car company like GM. The main company will lose a huge revenue stream from losing all thee dealerships.
Why this is bad for security, law, and human advancement;
Bad for security if car companies technology schematics and codes are flying all over the place left and right that anyone can get a hold on it and make improvements for their own benefit or find exploited able weaknesses.
Bad for law if things like key codes are all over the place that everyone can manage to cut themselves a key in 20 minutes as long as they have the key code, and the proper scan tool. Your car radios will also again be at risk of getting stolen.
Bad for human advancement because car companies produce a lot of new tech if they're revenue streams is slimmed down hugely they won't be able to pour cash into R&D and if everyone was going to get their hands on the new tech because the government forces them to hand it over into a database they'll have no reason to research anything.
You will never get another American car company that could compete on a world stage or produce as much technology as GM did when it was in it's best days, if this bill goes across the country.
Sorry for the wall of text. :P
Now finally something I have some credibility to comment about. I work at a car dealership in NJ and was talking to a salesman today as well as the owner of the dealership and a manager. Now the car dealership I work at employs roughly 40 people. We're pretty small but we do well.Today’s modern vehicles are very complex machines. Computers and electronics control nearly every vehicle function from safety and emissions to ignition keys. Although these computers provide many benefits to motorists through improved fuel efficiency, comfort and safety, they also provide increasing opportunities for car companies to lock out access by car owners and the independent repair shops where they choose to obtain service for their vehicles.
The need for Right to Repair legislation has become a necessity in order to protect the rights of car owners to decide where and how they have their vehicles serviced, whether at a new car dealer or an independent service facility. Right to Repair ensures that the person who bought the car and not the car company, can decide where that vehicle is repaired and maintained.
Anyway about the bill. It would make car companies give up and put things into a database like key codes (what you need to program a new key), engine codes (those little cryptic numbers you get after you scan a car using a check engine light), radio codes (what you need to be able to use the car radio after it has been removed) as well schematics to the design of cars so that little "mom and pop" shops can repair you vehicle.
This is a bad thing for several reasons. Car dealerships employ huge amount of people directly and through proxy. Now a car dealership makes on average from what the owner told me "roughly $600 profit on every car sold" that is without marking it up to a point that is unreasonable. So the dealership depends hugely on the service department to keep alive. If you have no reason to go to car dealership because you can get the info anywhere the dealership was lose money till the point where it will no longer exist and many people will lose their jobs. Domino effect goes into play and everyone starts to lose money.
Why you'll never get another GM from this;
If dealership cannot stay open because the service department cannot produce to make up for the weakness of the sales department (and in this economy, I'm surprised cars salesmen everywhere haven't committed mass suicide.) you will never get another huge employer and car company like GM. The main company will lose a huge revenue stream from losing all thee dealerships.
Why this is bad for security, law, and human advancement;
Bad for security if car companies technology schematics and codes are flying all over the place left and right that anyone can get a hold on it and make improvements for their own benefit or find exploited able weaknesses.
Bad for law if things like key codes are all over the place that everyone can manage to cut themselves a key in 20 minutes as long as they have the key code, and the proper scan tool. Your car radios will also again be at risk of getting stolen.
Bad for human advancement because car companies produce a lot of new tech if they're revenue streams is slimmed down hugely they won't be able to pour cash into R&D and if everyone was going to get their hands on the new tech because the government forces them to hand it over into a database they'll have no reason to research anything.
You will never get another American car company that could compete on a world stage or produce as much technology as GM did when it was in it's best days, if this bill goes across the country.
Sorry for the wall of text. :P
Last edited by Macbeth (2009-06-30 18:50:58)