The Right to Repair, the Right to Tinker, and the Right to Innovate

Abstract

Creating new products by incorporating new and original ideas derived from learning the internal mechanisms and structures of machines and other objects at hand through the process of repairing or tinkering with them is fundamental to the innovation, which is a staple of human existence. Recently, however, increasing product complexity, technical constraints, and regulations have gradually narrowed the scope of the user's ability to tinker. This aspect has given momentum to the movement to explicitly reclaim the Right to Repair and the Right to Tinker. This paper thus outlines the process that led to recognition of the importance of these rights.