Right to Repair

Announcing The Repair Association

Following a successful campaign to legalize cellphone unlocking, winning key exemptions from the Copyright Office for repair, and strong support for repair-friendly state legislation, we are excited to launch The Repair Association (repair.org)—a new organization representing professional and consumer repairers.

The Repair Association logo, repair.org

Expanding on and absorbing the work started by the Digital Right to Repair Coalition, repair.org will be a hub for repair professionals and a voice for the entire repair industry.

There are over 3 million repair and reuse professionals in the US. They fix cell phones, repair refrigerators, refurbish servers, return tractors to working order, and so much more. Their combined efforts have diverted millions of products from landfills and added countless dollars to the American economy. Repair keeps America running.

Despite their contributions, no trade group unites the repair industry as a whole. Until now. The Repair Association will fight for the interests of professional and consumer repairers—as well as providing professional development resources across repair communities.

“The repair industry is facing unique challenges,” says Kyle Wiens, CEO of iFixit. “Integrated electronics are making it harder to fix things. And manufacturers keep restricting access to service documentation, parts, and software—which forces consumers into more expensive ‘manufacturer-authorized’ repairs and drives small repair shops out of business.”

The Repair Association advocates nationally for a competitive repair market, as well as improvements to the quality and longevity of products.

“As software has become ubiquitous, remaking everything from cars to phones to everyday appliances, so too have legal and technical restrictions on basic users’ rights to repair, research, remake and reuse our devices,” says Corynne McSherry, Legal Director of the Electronic Frontier Foundation. “Now more than ever, we need organizations like repair.org to defend our rights.”

The Repair Association will fight for your right to …

  • Information: Fair access to documentation and software required for all repairs.
  • Parts and tools: Fair access to service parts and tools, including diagnostics.
  • Unlocking for repair and reuse: The ability to unlock and modify software and firmware.
  • Unencumbered resale: The ability to resell products (including the software needed to operate them).
  • Repairable products: Design for repair and recycling principles should be integrated into product development.

iFixit is a founding member of repair.org. Other members include:

IAMERSThe Service Industry AssociationASCDIThe Electronics TakeBack Coalition, The Electronic Frontier Foundation, Open Technology Institute, Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition, ASCDITradeloop, Fixit Clinic, The Fixers’ Collective, Public Knowledge, PC Rebuilders & Recyclers and dozens of other repair businesses.

If you’re a member of the repair industry, you can join The Repair Association here.