Danie on Nostr: Yes, in the past I understood patents etc were supposed to help actually spur on new ...
Yes, in the past I understood patents etc were supposed to help actually spur on new innovation. But the opposite seems to be happening. A hundred years ago one inventor would improve another's inventions and there seemed to be such progress. Now it is a legal minefield. But literally preventing someone from repairing a tractor, is criminal.
About 5 years ago, my country passed a law that we no longer needed to take our car back to the agent to be serviced, and warranties would not be voided. That increased competition a bit and gave consumers more choices.
But cars are going the same way as tractors - you need all the diagnostic computers etc to work on them. I grew up being able to change oil, filters, plugs, and adjust the timing, using a feeler gauge, etc. Back then, we could buy a workshop manual for every car.
About 5 years ago, my country passed a law that we no longer needed to take our car back to the agent to be serviced, and warranties would not be voided. That increased competition a bit and gave consumers more choices.
But cars are going the same way as tractors - you need all the diagnostic computers etc to work on them. I grew up being able to change oil, filters, plugs, and adjust the timing, using a feeler gauge, etc. Back then, we could buy a workshop manual for every car.