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I think it's more than repairs. The model to which this is converging is the abandonment of ownership. You do want to get YOUR car repaired but if it's not your

I think it's more than repairs. The model to which this is converging is the abandonment of ownership. You do want to get YOUR car repaired but if it's not your car in the first place, you can't. I think the narrative is slowly building towards that. You're licensed to drive the car, you bought the license, not the car. It doesn't matter if you are in physical possession of the metal parts as long as the software running them is updated automatically and you're not allowed to repair them. https://www.teslarati.com/do-you-own-a-tesla-or-does-a-tesla-own-you/ https://www.teslarati.com/do-you-own-a-tesla-or-does-a-tesla... John Deere managed to do this https://www.wired.com/2015/04/dmca-ownership-john-deere/ https://www.wired.com/2015/04/dmca-ownership-john-deere/ so it's all the history repeating. And I agree with you, the dysfunctional anticonsumer regulatory environment enabled this.

rchaud 8y ago
This recently happened to a Kobo e-reader I bought in 2013 and have been using happily. On March 1, the company announced some firmware upgrade that I was required to install to continue even using the device. This was not a security patch and wasn't related to the ereader's core functionality. We're talking about a $50 ereader that only connects to my laptop once in a blue moon to transfer EPUB files. Can't use it anymore without installing a firmware upgrade now. Turns out, I have a license to use the device, just not to own it.
- cheeko1234 8y ago
  How did they stop you from using the device? Does it connect to the internet? This seems like they preplanned this "feature". Slightly offtopic, but I recently bought a kindle paperwhite and jailbroke it. The process was a bit challenging but definitely worth it and makes it impossible for Amazon to mess with it.
- Gibbon1 8y ago
  My opinion is a company that does that should be if you so desire, required to buy the device back from you at retail and pay for shipping.
grecy 8y ago
I know you're saying it like a bad thing... but what if it's actually a good thing, we just don't know it yet? I mean, none of us actually want to own a bus or a train, we just get on them and get off again when it's convenient for us. I have no interest in thinking about maintenance or service intervals or age of replacement or even how to actually 'drive' one. What if that's the direction cars are going? I understand that currently personal car ownership is deeply, deeply ingrained in the American psyche, but I do believe there can be a future where we don't own a car each, but rather just get in and out of them as they drive around autonomously. Why deal with paying for tires and brake pads if you don't have to? I mean, I'm a car guy, and I'll probably always want to own some kind of "fun to drive car", but then again, I'm a dinosaur at 37, and to be honest if I'm just going into a city with mind-numbing driving I'd rather take public transit anyway. The stats on how few people under 30 don't even have (or want) a license clearly points to some changes coming.
- decebalus1 8y ago
  Oh, I agree with you on that part. It's probably a good thing. But why am I paying the full price for the car if I don't own it? Because it seems like I'm renting an apartment for which I need to pay for repairs.
  - grecy 8y ago
    Because this is a transition phase, and things will be a little wonky for a while until everything falls into place. If you don't want to be part of it, just don't buy one and wait until the transition is complete.
    - decebalus1 8y ago
      Nah... everything will fall into place indeed but that 'place' will be heavily skewed in favor of the entity making the rules of the game. And it's not the consumer making them.

rchaud 8y ago

This recently happened to a Kobo e-reader I bought in 2013 and have been using happily. On March 1, the company announced some firmware upgrade that I was required to install to continue even using the device. This was not a security patch and wasn't related to the ereader's core functionality. We're talking about a $50 ereader that only connects to my laptop once in a blue moon to transfer EPUB files. Can't use it anymore without installing a firmware upgrade now. Turns out, I have a license to use the device, just not to own it.

cheeko1234 8y ago
How did they stop you from using the device? Does it connect to the internet? This seems like they preplanned this "feature". Slightly offtopic, but I recently bought a kindle paperwhite and jailbroke it. The process was a bit challenging but definitely worth it and makes it impossible for Amazon to mess with it.
Gibbon1 8y ago
My opinion is a company that does that should be if you so desire, required to buy the device back from you at retail and pay for shipping.

grecy 8y ago

I know you're saying it like a bad thing... but what if it's actually a good thing, we just don't know it yet? I mean, none of us actually want to own a bus or a train, we just get on them and get off again when it's convenient for us. I have no interest in thinking about maintenance or service intervals or age of replacement or even how to actually 'drive' one. What if that's the direction cars are going? I understand that currently personal car ownership is deeply, deeply ingrained in the American psyche, but I do believe there can be a future where we don't own a car each, but rather just get in and out of them as they drive around autonomously. Why deal with paying for tires and brake pads if you don't have to? I mean, I'm a car guy, and I'll probably always want to own some kind of "fun to drive car", but then again, I'm a dinosaur at 37, and to be honest if I'm just going into a city with mind-numbing driving I'd rather take public transit anyway. The stats on how few people under 30 don't even have (or want) a license clearly points to some changes coming.

decebalus1 8y ago
Oh, I agree with you on that part. It's probably a good thing. But why am I paying the full price for the car if I don't own it? Because it seems like I'm renting an apartment for which I need to pay for repairs.
- grecy 8y ago
  Because this is a transition phase, and things will be a little wonky for a while until everything falls into place. If you don't want to be part of it, just don't buy one and wait until the transition is complete.
  - decebalus1 8y ago
    Nah... everything will fall into place indeed but that 'place' will be heavily skewed in favor of the entity making the rules of the game. And it's not the consumer making them.