Posted on 04/24/2015 10:37:26 AM PDT by MamaDearest
One of the inherent rights of owning a vehicle is the ability to get on one’s backside — a wrench in one hand and a grease rag in the other, and just tinker to your little heart’s desire. Since the vehicle was invented, it’s been an important facet within the community of gearheads.
General Motors — the same company responsible for 87 deaths related to faulty ignition switches, FYI — wants to take that right away from you citing safety and security issues. Along with a few other big names.
It’s called the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). It’s been around since 2000 and started as anti-Internet piracy legislation. But automakers want to use it to try and make working on your own car illegal. Yes, illegal. The general premise is that unlike cars of the past, today’s vehicles are so advanced and use such a large amount of software and coding in their general makeup, altering said code could be dangerous and possibly even malicious.
Listing the vehicle as a “mobile computing device,” the law would hypothetically protect automakers from pesky owners looking to alter any sort of technology in the vehicle that relates to the onboard computer. Flashing your ECU would be a big no no, which could also lead to all sorts of problems for aftermarket shops.
What GM, and even tractor companies like John Deere, argues is that you, as an owner, don’t actually own your car. Rather, you’re sort of just borrowing it for an extended amount of time and paying for the rights to use the technology. If it sounds ridiculous— it is. But it gets even more ludicrous.
According to the Electronic Frontier Foundation, John Deere argued that “letting people modify car computer systems will result in them pirating music through the on-board entertainment system.”
BTW, I don’t take electrical systems or EMF interference lightly. It may or may not be part of the public record, but their was a problem that surfaced with the “bubble gum” law enforcement type lights were put on a certain vehicle and caused the cruise control(?) to go WOT. I know folks that were their when the problem happened and yes it was fixed. The big 4 or 6 or whatever number you want to call them, would want no one of these exogenous issues effecting their profitability via lawsuits..
Let’s not forget that sometimes in new models the Automotive Hardware does not change but the software does. God forbid the owner actually update the software and increase the useful life of the car....
A warranty issue would be an issue between the car owner and the manufacturer - a civil matter at worst - not something that the DMCA should be involved in. There may be good reasons to not want people to monkey around with their car’s ECU programming, but I don’t think the DMCA is one of them.
Mindblowing pics of places in the world where unsold cars waste away
Precisely. Leftists telling us the size of our drinks, dictating our kids school lunches, making “diversity” classes mandatory in colleges, taking our light bulbs away from us, forcing Obamacare and the homosexual agenda upon us however and whenever they can do it - it’s becoming epidemic. This just strengthens my resolve to never buy a GM, Chrysler or Ford vehicle again. Our garden tractor and rototiller are not John Deere brand and never will be.
Well that certainly confirms the economy in Europe sux.
didn’t they ban yard sales in Louisiana??
Thanks for the list. So far Chrysler is not on the list, but they’re already on my do-not-buy list anyway.
It’s the same way in the US. When we visited family in the midwest, a mostly closed shopping center had a mega supply of Jeeps parked in the back lot. There were so many it was quite the picture. I should have taken a picture of it.
There was a TED talk on what made societies prosperous. The primary basis was secure property rights and clear rule of law.
The 6 killer apps of prosperity
http://www.ted.com/talks/niall_ferguson_the_6_killer_apps_of_prosperity?language=en
“don’t actually own your car. Rather, you’re sort of just borrowing it for an extended amount of time and paying for the rights to use the technology. “
So I guess all the money I paid for the vehicle is not theirs , they are just borrowing it for an amount of time, and then they will give it back?
just cut or sheild the antenna
The computing device I’m typing on can be modified at will. I can add or delete software. I can change the operating system. I can change any and all hardware.
The car companies can go to H###.
And Orin “DMCA” Hatch can go there with them.
You obviously know nothing about Deere farm equipment.
My first car was a 1971 Pontiac. I was a teenager but I could work on virtually everything on that car. Every important part was easily accessible. Today I’d be six hours just removing hoses and wires to get to the engine. It’s not worth it.
I’m totally surprised at that. Jeeps are selling like CRAZY with the cheap gas.
That I can agree with.
What a stupid comment. Today's cars are way safer, way more efficient, better in nearly every way. Remember roll up windows? Hand cranked sunroofs? Hard and uncomfortable seats? Interior panels and headliners that fell apart after 5 years? Rust?, anemic performance?
I'll take my heated seats and steering wheel, my 400+hp, 13 second time slips, my 23+ mpg, and all of the other features, thank you very much.
But I don't want the damn gubbment restricting my freedoms any more than they do today by not allowing me to work on my car or modify it. Its mine, damn it! I paid for it!
I suspect if you’re in a non-inspection state you’ll be just fine.
But emission inspection states will probably be cracking down on non-OEM software installs.
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