Above photo: A John Deere tractor. John Deere has attempted to employ practices that restrict users ability to repair their products. Dre Dark / Flickr.
Planned obsolescence not only is exploitative, it could cause serious delays when tools and equipment need to be urgently repaired.
Spring reminds me of the rituals of farming that were customary as I was growing up on the prairies.
Among these were making sure that farm machinery was maintained, and repaired if necessary, to ensure that spring seeding occurred on time and without delay – at least as much as possible. And the other memory related to farm machinery was that there were always breakdowns at the most inopportune of times.
Despite best efforts there was often a need to repair equipment during seeding or harvest. That was the way it was. Often someone from the family was dispatched to a nearby farm equipment dealer or garage to purchase a part so that a seeder, tractor, or discer could be repaired on the farm. There was always a variety of brands of farm equipment to work with, and parts seemed to be readily available, though at times they needed to be ordered in from a nearby town.
Those are bygone days. Fast forward to these days. The big issue, and one that rural and urban dwellers have in common, is the right to repair whatever happens to have broken down. For farmers, it is the farm equipment crucial to the production of food. For urbanites and others, it might be medical equipment such as wheelchairs or even retinal implants, or computer equipment, along with the ubiquitous iPhone. These days the repair of equipment and digital devices is largely controlled by access to digital locks. Without the code for the lock, no one but the manufacturer can do the repair.
The Right to Repair Movement is growing across Canada and globally as individuals and communities recognize the harm that proprietary practices by manufacturers are having on just about everything.
For years many have pushed for changes to legislation to allow for the right to repair.
In November of 2024 two pieces of federal legislation were given Royal Assent – Bills C-244 and C-294 – which deal with exemptions within copyright legislation to allow for the repair of devices. These two laws have been heralded by many as an important step forward. And while they are a step in the right direction, there is still a long, long way to go to actually apply the right to repair in this country. While these bills allow the circumvention of digital software locks to allow for the repair of devices, the exception only applies to individuals and not to third parties who provide repair services, or to those who make tools that could repair digital devices or equipment.
So in fact these two pieces of federal legislation related to copyright laws are very limited. Competition and consumer protection laws which would allow for the right to repair are within provincial jurisdiction and most provinces in Canada have yet to enact changes that enable the right to repair.
Meanwhile across the country, in rural and urban communities, the right to repair community is growing. Right to repair workshops already take place in many communities, with volunteers doing their best to hack into coffee makers, ice cream machines, vacuums and more. But without full access, repairs are challenging to say the least.
What is really needed are laws that would prevent planned obsolescence and protect the right to repair equipment. As is, there are medical devices that do not function without the manufacturer’s support. The case of a ground-breaking bionic retinal implants that no longer functioned because the manufacturer abandoned the locked devices as it struggled with bankruptcy is but one example of what can go wrong. Imagine walking around with an eye implant created to mitigate blindness and improve the ability to see, but it no longer works and cannot be repaired or removed.
Another case in point is that of John Deere, which in January of 2025, was embroiled in legal proceedings with the US Federal Trade Commission for using unfair and deceptive practices in order to control prices and reduce competition. Through the use of proprietorial tools and digital locks John Deere farm equipment can only be repaired by its authorized dealers. That means farmers can lose crucial time during planting and harvesting seasons. Returning to authorized dealers is also expensive. Another huge issue regarding farm machinery is that equipment manufacturers are limiting interoperability, meaning some brands of farm equipment will not work with other brands so farmers must buy equipment from the same manufacturer in order to have pieces of equipment work together. There are class actions suits underway against John Deere, as well as other legal actions being taken against Tesla, and Harley Davidson, among others.
Meanwhile, in the US several states are now passing Right to Repair legislation as calls for change wash across the nation.
Here at home, Québec has passed legislation that may help to prevent planned obsolescence. Bill 29, an Act to protect consumers, came into force on October 5, 2023. This legislation prohibits the sale of goods for which obsolescence is planned, according to the Assemblée nationale du Québec. It also mandates that merchants and manufacturers make replacement parts and repair services available for a reasonable period. The Consumer Protection Act (CPA) is amended to prohibit the use of techniques that would intentionally shorten the normal operating life of a good. The Bill also promotes repairability by ensuring that replacement parts and repair services are readily available
But the right to repair is about much more than just repairing tractors or household devices. Advocating for the right to repair is about stopping the practice of planned obsolescence by manufacturers.
The right to repair has economic, environmental, and social impacts. People are spending huge amounts to replace items instead of being able to repair them and small businesses which provide repair services are being stymied; discarded items and e-waste makes up as much as 70 per cent of landfills; and the unnecessary production of computer or digital devices is using up precious elements and rare earth metals at an alarming rate. These metals are difficult and toxic to mine, and often negatively impact the health of nearby communities.
And so the right to repair also becomes an issue of consumerism and climate change. In an effort to support communities working to change these realities there are a number of resources available. The NFUniversity has a webinar on the issue. As well, the Canadian Repair Coalition, a national advocacy organization, has a lot of good information on its website. Among the content are the discussions and presentations from the inaugural Canadian Repair Convention held in October 2024.
If you are in the mood to repair rather than replace and are looking for manuals, videos, diagnostics and tips on ‘how to repair’, peruse ifixit.org for information on everything from fridges to washing machines, ovens, and even hair dryers. The site is full of hacks to help us all out!
Show no fear… the worst that can happen is that a household item cannot be repaired – but at least you will have tried to save it from the landfill!!
Meanwhile solving the issue of the right to repair farm equipment will take on-going advocacy and legislated recognition of the importance of food production.