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Contract law actually is pretty universally used the other way around, to prevent you from updating. I have several old Android phones with locked bootloaders t
by lukeschlather 3y ago
Contract law actually is pretty universally used the other way around, to prevent you from updating. I have several old Android phones with locked bootloaders that I couldn't legally update even if the manufacturer hadn't locked the bootloader. I don't have access to the source code or the signing keys. I'm not sure the signing keys even exist anymore.
And I can't buy a phone with the contract terms I want, they simply don't exist and can't exist unless the government forces companies to offer such terms. (They exist if you're buying thousands, maybe, but I just want one for personal use.)
- eru 3y agoYes, contract law only works for contracts that parties agree to. Contract law can't force companies (nor consumers) to enter into contracts they don't want to be in. That's the whole point. Have a look at eg https://www.apple.com/sg/support/professional/enterprise/ https://www.apple.com/sg/support/professional/enterprise/ or the equivalent for Dell or Microsoft etc. All those companies already have programs where you can give them money in return for long term support and contractually guaranteed updates etc. I'm sure you can find similar programs for IoT suppliers. Some people decide to pay for those programmes, many people don't. I don't see why we should force everyone into buying the equivalent of extended warranties, that they evidently don't want. This kind of stuff isn't free for companies to provide, you know.