Overlap between the Software Freedom movement and the Right to Repair?

[Lars Noodén]

In what ways, if any, do people consider it feasible for the Right To
Repair and Software Freedom groups collaborate on the specific areas
where there is overlap?  If this has been discussed before please point
me to the relevant archives.

I've listened to a recent monologue and a short documentary on the Right
To Repair [1] and it seems that there is an area of overlap between the
Right To Repair movement and the Software Freedom movement.  There are,
of course, areas where they diverge since they focus mostly on hardware,
but where they do overlap, there could be some collaboration because
proprietary software is becoming a greater and greater factor inhibiting
modding and even basic repair.

One example which involves components familiar here is about
refurbishing used computers.  Some years ago, company which has been
long-term problematic for the public, went after a recycler [2] and
caused him a lot of legal difficulties for refurbishing old systems.
Perhaps, he could have avoided the trouble by focusing on Free/Libre,
Open Source Software (FLOSS) instead.  Maybe not.  But either way, the
choice of FLOSS would have been better for him and his customers in
other ways.

Other examples involve the software within ice cream machines and farm
equipment and the abuse of the ostensible owners via the proprietary
software embedded in the machines.  The software in both categories is
set up so that the owner of the machines has very little control over
the machines themselves, especially in regards to modding or repair,
because they have no control at all over the software controlling the
machines.

Clearly in those categories, the right to repair proponents would
benefit from the Four Freedoms.  Likewise, the Software Freedom
proponents would benefit from being aware of and eliminating the
encroachment of malware [3] into devices which never previously had
software.

/Lars


[1]     "Let's talk about ice cream and why it matters"
        
https://odysee.com/@rossmanngroup:a/let's-talk-about-ice-cream-and-why-it:a

        "The REAL Reason McDonalds Ice Cream Machines Are Always Broken"
        https://youtu.be/SrDEtSlqJC4
        (the software part comes in at about half-way and three
        quarters of the way through the recording)


[2] War on Recyclers:

        "The e-waste warrior, 28,000 copied Windows restore discs, and a
        fight to stay out of jail: Tech recycler fights"
        prison term for handing out recovery CDs
 https://www.theregister.com/2018/02/21/e_waste_lundgren_windows_dell/
 https://regmedia.co.uk/2018/02/20/lundgrenappeal.pdf

Coverage at Techrights:

Part 1: Microsoft’s Legal Attacks on Eric Lundgren
        Demonstrate There’s No ‘New’ Microsoft Except a Super-Vicious,
        Law-Twisting Thug
 http://techrights.org/2019/07/26/story-of-eric-lundgren/

Part 2: Microsoft Windows Puts Recyclers Like Eric Lundgren in
        Prison and Patients Six Feet Under the Ground
 http://techrights.org/2019/07/27/microsoft-windows-injustice/

Part 3: Microsoft Put an Innocent, Heroic Man in Prison. Then
        Microsoft Ran Away.
 http://techrights.org/2019/08/03/microsoft-vs-heroes/

Part 4: Microsoft Being Microsoft, Bullying Everyone Who
        Reduces Microsoft’s Profits
 http://techrights.org/2019/08/04/reducing-microsoft-profits/

Part 5: Microsoft’s War on the Right to Repair (One’s Own Computers)
        Makes Lundgren an ‘Enemy’ to Microsoft
 http://techrights.org/2019/08/04/righttorepair/

Part 6: Damage Control Mode: Satya Nadella Fleeing Lundgren
        After Realising What Microsoft Had Done
 http://techrights.org/2019/08/05/satya-nadella-fleeing-lundgren/

Part 7: Slander and Libel From Microsoft (Demonising the Victim)
 http://techrights.org/2019/08/05/satya-nadella-fleeing-lundgren/

Part 8: Similar High-Profile ‘Bargains’ (Aaron Swartz and
        Marcus Hutchins)
 http://techrights.org/2019/08/06/fake-bargains/


[3]     Proprietary Software Is Often Malware
 https://www.gnu.org/proprietary/