Regarding the ballot Question 4, Right to Repair Law:
Now we have independent car repair shops asking for copyright material. Sorry, they are not included or have paid for protected repair privileges. Independent shops can survive by addressing flat tires, dead batteries, exhaust issues, brakes, suspension problems and radiator issues and doing inspections.
Even if a “yes” to repair wins, it goes nowhere. It has been argued in court that technical data is protected by copyright; the dispute is unresolved. Not all is lost, however. The independent shops can still repair shocks, exhaust, brakes, etc., but they do not have a right to copyrighted data.
Maine voters should know that this question on the ballot is a go-nowhere vote. When was the last time any of us were treated fairly at the auto shop?
Kevin Noel
Portland
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.