Right-to-Repair Law To Get DRM Out of Your Car

eldavojohn writes "Ralph Nader's back to hounding the automotive industry ... but it's not about safety this time, it's about the pesky DRM in your car. Most cars have a UART in them that allows you to read off diagnostic codes and information about what may be wrong with the vehicle so you can repair it. Late model cars have been getting increasingly complex and dependent on computers which has caused them, as with most things digital, to move towards a proprietary DRM for these tools, diagnostic codes and updated repair information. This has kept independent auto-shops out of the market for fixing your car and relegating you to depend on pricier dealers to get your automotive ailments cured. The bill still has a provision to protect trade secrets but is a step forward to open up the codes and tools necessary to keep your car running."

Comments

Re:This is a very old issue

[dbrutus]

If a diagnostics dongle allowed you to reset the odometer, the manufacturer would likely be violating several laws, starting with plain old fraud. Those odometers are represented and relied on as being unresettable.

Re:This is a very old issue

[fractoid]

That sounds weird. O.o I'm pretty sure that (in Australia at least) it's not the case - if you buy a vehicle and then de-register it (returning the plates etc.) it's yours to do whatever the hell you want with. Titling and registration of vehicles is only required if you want to drive legally on public roads.