The Justice Department’s Antitrust Division and Federal Trade Commission submitted comments to the U.S. Copyright Office advocating for regulations that would facilitate the right to repair. The agencies are in favor of consumers and businesses getting to repair their own equipment.
The Copyright Office is considering whether to recommend that the Library of Congress renew and expand temporary exemptions to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act’s prohibition against the circumvention of technology protection measures that control access to copyrighted content. In their comments, the agencies said that renewing and expanding repair-related exemptions would promote competition in markets for replacement parts, repair and maintenance services, and facilitate competition in markets for repairable products.
“Promoting competition in repair markets benefits consumers and businesses by making it easier and cheaper to fix the things they own,” the comments say. “Expanding repair exemptions can also remove barriers limiting independent service providers from doing their work.”
