Car Companies Say Home Repairs Are 'Legally Problematic,' Seek Copyright Restrictions

Another revenue stream or valid argument?

I feel any mods or repairs are your choice. You may void the warranty but it is not the manufacturer's business on what you do with your own property after purchase.

www.autoblog.com...

Automakers to gearheads: Stop repairing cars

Automakers are supporting provisions in copyright law that could prohibit home mechanics and car enthusiasts from repairing and modifying their own vehicles.

In comments filed with a federal agency that will determine whether tinkering with a car constitutes a copyright violation, OEMs and their main lobbying organization say cars have become too complex and dangerous for consumers and third parties to handle.

Allowing them to continue to fix their cars has become "legally problematic," according to a written statement from the Auto Alliance, the main lobbying arm of automakers.

The dispute arises from a section of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act that no one thought could apply to vehicles when it was signed into law in 1998. But now, in an era where cars are rolling computing platforms, the U.S. Copyright Office is examining whether provisions of the law that protect intellectual property should prohibit people from modifying and tuning their cars.

Don't but their cars. I don't like newer cars anyway.

Newer cars are too much technology and too little control over your own car.

Screw 'em.

Car companies and dealerships stand to make more money should the courts side in their favor over this issue but believe me, it is less sinister than the actual reason I feel this issue is currently being pressed.

The government wants to tax you per mile and eventually they will, they also want to have data on where people go, for how long and how many times. Should you or I be allowed to continue to modify our own vehicle, we may throw a wrench in part or all of those plans.

I see this as being a forgone conclusion. The auto industry will lobby, the government who stands to have the most to gain will gleefully push it through Congress.

Don't buy US made cars. It is that simple.

A smart guy in Australia made a plug in module that allowed any laptop able to read any car's fault codes. The manufacturers claimed he was copying their plugs that were copyrighted. It ended up in a big mess for a while as they tried to run the guy out of business.

It is actions like these that move people away from buying their brands and for this and many similar things that have driven them to the wall. Plants are closing down and the Japanese manufacturers are now our best sellers.

This sort of behaviour by car manufacturers, already gasping for survival, is just plain stupid.

Serves them right when they go out of business.

Another case of greedy little bastards getting what they deserve.

If I buy a car ... it is mine and I will damn well do what I want with it including messing with their precious computer systems. It is mine!

P

Modify, maybe.

Repair never. If I replace a CD or DVD drive in my computer, I am not breaking copyright laws.
If copyright laws were an issue we wouldn't have aftermarket parts, in cars or computing.

They can go sit on my torque wrench then since it wont be useful anymore. Guess all the tool companies will be making less money, third party parts makers, this is compartmentalization at its finest. Keep everyone in a single box so that they can't do everything themselves and be independent. How real American of them.

I am in the market for a new car and I will definitely not be buying American just because of that. Anyways, GM is not even supposed to be around anymore, they should be counting their blessings.

This is audacious and greedy to the bone.

My middle finger is too short to properly communicate through physical gesture how I feel about this.
I don't trust a vehicle that I can't keep road-worthy with my own tools and knowledge.

a reply to: pheonix358

Don't buy US made cars. It is that simple.

Let me fix that for you.

Don't buy foreign made cars. It is that simple.

As an American I have to support Americam jobs.

Although this sounds ridiculous, it still stands that us here in the states need to help supportan iinfrastructure that will help support us.

They can keep their cars, I like my Buick G body, no computer, I can work on it, it actually has character

a reply to: infolurker

a reply to: infolurker
This is ridiculous...
I read somewhere that John Deere is currently trying to do the same thing with their farming equipment...

originally posted by: liejunkie01
a reply to: pheonix358

Don't buy US made cars. It is that simple.

Let me fix that for you.

Don't buy foreign made cars. It is that simple.

As an American I have to support Americam jobs.

Although this sounds ridiculous, it still stands that us here in the states need to help supportan iinfrastructure that will help support us.

Even if the American buisness model is bassed on a crap buisness model?


As a "American" you dont have to buy nothing, you only CHOOSE to buy something, thats kinda how freedom and freemarkets work.

If patrotism is buying a #ty product then poor you

depends on how far they go..

there are alot of people who seem to think cut springs as a cheap and easy way to lower their vehicles.. thats definitely not included in the vehicle warranty..

and neither would turbo charging an engine with 25psi of boost when the vehicle was designed without one, blowing the engine and claiming on the warranty..

but if you dont intend to claim on the warranty then whatever doesnt really affect you..

This won't stand. Courts recently ruled against Apple, in regards to jail breaking iPhones, saying its perfectly legal to modify programming after purchase.

I understand that they claim safety is a potential issue, but color me crazy, the only safety issues I've ever heard of regarding any onboard vehicle systems, were directly the fault of the manufacturer, not aftermarket mods.....

a reply to: crazyewok

Even if the American buisness model is bassed on a crap buisness model?

Unfortunately it is the business model we have.

As a "American" you dont have to buy nothing, you only CHOOSE to buy something, thats kinda how freedom and freemarkets work.

Thank you for the lesson in consumer econonics.

If patrotism is buying a #ty product then poor you

I guess patriotism is telling people to buy foreign products?

Poor me, nah, I'm thinking poor everyone else that loses their jobs because the manufacturing sector gets shipped over seas.

Which could be slowed if people bought domestic products.

But hey what do I know, you are the economics expert?

a reply to: liejunkie01

Even if the American buisness model is bassed on a crap buisness model?

Unfortunately it is the business model we have.

This is the problem!

Their business model is based on pure greed and people want to support it! That is nuts!

They are dinosaurs, they will go extinct!

Patriotism is great! I support you in this!

But supporting the greedy little bastards is what got you into this mess in the first place!

Imagine, if every time a company transferred the jobs overseas, you stopped buying their products. They would go broke. Imagine if every true patriot with a working brain in their head did this. You would still have jobs! They would have got the message loud and clear!

Your sense of patriotism is what is sending the country down the toilet.

Think man. Stop the rot! You have the power. Be a Jedi!

P

a reply to: liejunkie01

I spent several years working quality control in the automotive industry, and I have to say of our so called "american" vehicles, every single piece of electronics in made out of country. Chassis, panels, basic crude mechanical parts are made here, but if it requires more than a positive and negative wire, its being imported. The majority of work we do here is assembly.

When it comes down to supporting jobs, Toyota and Honda plants in the states offer more jobs than our big 3 do. The question of whether to buy foreign or domestic, really boils down to a single issue.... Where would you prefer the CEO to live? They either live in Asia, and get massive tax breaks, or they live in America..... And get massive tax breaks. In the end, no difference.

a reply to: pheonix358

You are correct,

Many companies are returning their customer support to the US because that is exactly what is happening. The customer is demanding it.

a reply to: pheonix358

Imagine, if every time a company transferred the jobs overseas, you stopped buying their products. They would go broke. Imagine if every true patriot with a working brain in their head did this. You would still have jobs!

Hence why I said buy domestic. It just does not apply to the auto industry. I do not buy Levi jeans because of what you say. Both of my vehicles, which are 14 years old are domestic.

Your sense of patriotism is what is sending the country down the toilet.

My family has roots that date back to the late 1600's, English and French. Iam thankful that my ancestors helped lay the foundations of what they thought a free nation should be.

If telling people to buy American made products is unpatriotic, then you have a seriously flawed logic. Please don't try to lecture me on patriotism.

originally posted by: Metallicus
Don't but their cars. I don't like newer cars anyway.

Newer cars are too much technology and too little control over your own car.

Screw 'em.

This isn't going to work long term. For a bit, it might work - the same as buying older cars will work for a bit.

What will happen is all the imported cars will have to meet US regulations in order to be imported, and the manufacturers will do it, so they can continue to sell cars here.

We are so screwed.