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Congress May Force Revealing of Car Computer Secrets
marksven writes "The Seattle Post-Intelligencer is reporting that there is a bill with 86 co-sponsors in the House to force automakers to open up their proprietary interfaces to car computers. Small car repair shops are more and more becoming locked out of the repair business because most late model cars can only be fixed by accessing their computers with codes that are secret."
Agreed. A monopoly is a monopoly is a monopoly. You can't discriminate just because it's a smaller market, or one that's likely to have less publicity. Unfair business monopolies are rife these days - and a step in the right direction would undoubtedly be welcome.
WTF was the shop down the street looking at the onboard computer for, if it was a brake problem?
Either they suck, or you're lying.
I don't need no instructions to know how to rock!!!!
That doesn't change the fact that this law is unreasonable. In the first case, it's understandable. You are waranteed against damage, but then you come to find out that the repair can only be done at the dealership (though to tell the truth, this doesn't seem any different from computer warantees. I'll have to look into it more). The fact is though, that the governemtn shouldn't be forcing businesses to do this. Just because you want to get your repair done somewhere doesn't give you the right. I would guess the case you are refering to had to do with the fact that having to have the repairs done at the dealership was not part of the original warantee contract.
If it was, all I can really say is read the waranty. A business has every right to make restrictions like that. And if you don't like it, then you don't buy it.
T Money
World Domination with a plastic spoon since 1984
Paten it anyway, at the current rate, it seems the Paten Office will give you a paten on whatever you want. The fine line between data and code is about as wide as a 12 lane freeway these days.