The Ownership Revolution: A Turning Point in Consumer Rights

The recent “Own Your Shit” tour has been making waves across the US as it rallies people against Section 1201 of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. This legislation, intended to ensure device security in 1998, has had the opposite effect – enabling companies to charge consumers for access to their own hardware.

The tour’s focus on killing Section 1201 is part of a growing global movement towards right-to-repair legislation. In the European Union, new regulations have been enacted requiring companies to make their products more repairable and extend the life of consumer goods. This trend is not limited to Europe – in the US, lawmakers are starting to take notice.

The intersection with issues of economic inequality is particularly striking. Companies are locking up devices and turning everything into subscription services that consumers must pay for. This creates a vicious cycle where people feel forced to buy new products every few years rather than repairing or maintaining their existing ones. As Katharine Trendacosta, a director at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, pointed out during the San Jose event, companies are not just restricting access to devices but also profiting from consumers’ inability to repair them.

The vision for California’s newly established Business and Consumer Services Agency is noteworthy in this context. Led by former CFPB director Rohit Chopra, the agency aims to focus on consumer protection and ensure that new technology serves the needs of all people – not just those in the boardroom or executive suite. Chopra explained after the event that his agency will work to prevent companies from using their influence to block meaningful reform.

The Own Your Shit tour’s message has resonated with audiences across the US, with many attendees sharing their own stories of struggling with companies’ restrictive policies. Rossmann himself noted that he was initially worried people were attending for the free pizza but was pleasantly surprised by the level of engagement and passion.

As this movement gains momentum, it will be interesting to see how lawmakers respond. Will they finally take action to address the concerns raised by advocacy groups like Fulu? Or will companies continue to use their influence to block meaningful reform?

Consumers are no longer willing to accept a status quo where they’re treated as mere customers rather than owners of their devices and products. The Ownership Revolution has begun, and it’s not going away anytime soon. The fate of Section 1201 will be a crucial test case for this movement. If advocates succeed in killing the legislation or pushing for meaningful reform, it will send a clear message to companies that consumers will no longer tolerate being locked out of their own devices.

The momentum generated by the Own Your Shit tour and similar initiatives suggests that this is just the beginning of a long-overdue shift in consumer rights. As the final stop of the tour approaches, one thing is certain: consumers are ready to take control of their stuff. The question now is whether lawmakers will listen – or if companies will continue to resist any meaningful change.