The Productivity Commission made a number of important recommendations, including that:
- Australia adopts a rating system for the durability and repairability of electronic items, similar to the energy efficiency ratings we already have, so those consumers who want to be able to hold onto their devices for a long time can factor that in at the time they make the purchase.
- Copyright law be changed, making it clear that electronic “locks” such as trusted platform modules (TPMs) can legally be circumvented, if that’s what’s required for the device to be repaired. Another change to the Copyright Act would also be required to allow legitimate repairers to traffic in circumvention devices.
- The ACCC be given the power to fine tech companies that consistently ignore the many rights consumers already have under Australian consumer law. Currently, consumers themselves have to bring complaints about devices that turn out to have unreasonably short lifespans, and technology manufacturers bank on the fact it’s always cheaper and easier for aggrieved consumers to just give up and buy a new device.
Probably because its terms of reference were very much focused on allowing ordinary consumers to more easily repair and rejuvenate their beloved gadgets, the Productivity Commission didn’t make the connection that Anthony Albanese made the following day, between fleet buyers of devices, and ordinary buyers, however.
But the connection is there to be made.
The repairability of devices such as laptops is very much determined by the demands made by large corporate and government buyers, even if those are the same devices that individual consumers end up buying, too.
Individuals can’t easily convince companies such as Apple to use less glue in their laptops – parts that are glued rather than screwed together are the bane of many a repairer’s life, and they’re why Apple products often rate very poorly when it comes to repairability – but big corporate buyers can hand manufacturers lists of specifications that include screws, not glue.
And not just big buyers. There are certification systems already in place, that allow fleet buyers large and small to band together, and tell manufacturers to give their products a longer useful lifespan, and to make those products easier to rejuvenate and on-sell to ordinary consumers when the fleet finally needs a refresh.
The Productivity Commission’s report into the right to repair is an important step towards reducing e-waste which, like carbon dioxide, is polluting our planet.
But it’s only half the story. Or a third of it, or whatever.
