The Fight to Fix Your iPhone (and Other Stuff)

A few decades ago, you could take your newest piece of technology, be it a TV or tractor, to the repair shop of your choice, or try to fix it yourself. That’s usually no longer the case, as hardware increasingly comes loaded with copyrighted software. To varying degrees, many of the world’s biggest electronics manufacturers limit access to the information and equipment necessary for do-it-yourself maintenance and repairs.

Apple doesn’t publish repair manuals or sell parts to customers, and its warranty doesn’t apply if unauthorized repair damages its device. Samsung wouldn’t say why it doesn’t share repair information, though it makes some parts available to shops. Even John Deere gives only approved technicians access to the embedded software that controls systems in its machines. The manufacturers argue these limitations keep products working safely, and that copyright law lets them protect their intellectual property so it isn’t pirated.