The Right to Repair Is the Right to Own

What Ownership Means

If you cannot repair something, do you truly own it?

This is not merely a question of convenience. It is a question of what ownership means in an age where manufacturers design products to be unrepairable, where software locks prevent modification, where proprietary parts require proprietary service.

The farmer who cannot repair his own tractor. The consumer whose phone dies because the battery cannot be replaced. The hospital whose equipment sits idle waiting for an authorized technician.

These are not technical problems. They are property problems.

The History of Repair

For most of human history, the ability to repair was assumed. You owned your tools, your clothes, your home. When something broke, you fixed it—or found someone who could.

This was not just economy. It was self-reliance. It was knowledge passed between generations. It was the practical foundation of independence.

The shift to unrepairable products represents more than planned obsolescence. It represents a fundamental change in the relationship between people and their possessions—from ownership to licensed use.

How Design Restricts Agency

Modern products often include deliberate barriers to repair:

• Proprietary fasteners: Screws designed to prevent opening.
• Glued components: Batteries and parts that cannot be replaced without destruction.
• Software locks: Firmware that rejects non-original parts.
• Serialized pairing: Components that must be authorized by manufacturer systems.
• Withheld documentation: Repair manuals and schematics kept secret.
• Parts restrictions: Original components sold only to authorized service providers.

Each barrier transfers power from owner to manufacturer. Each makes the product less yours.

The Broader Principle

The right to repair is not only about saving money or reducing waste—though it does both. It is about preserving the meaning of ownership in an age of designed dependency.

If a manufacturer can prevent you from fixing what you bought, they have retained a kind of sovereignty over it. You possess it, but they control it.

This principle extends beyond physical products. Software licenses, digital locks, terms of service—all represent the same transformation: from ownership to permission.

Questions a Free Person Should Ask

• Can I repair this myself, or am I dependent on the manufacturer?
• Are replacement parts available, or must I replace the whole?
• What happens when manufacturer support ends?
• Do I own this, or do I merely possess it under conditions?
• Am I building skills or building dependency?
• What would my grandparents have been able to fix themselves?

What This Means for Ordinary People

Support the right to repair—not as a political position but as a property position. When purchasing, consider repairability. Choose products designed to be maintained.

Learn basic repair skills. Understand how your tools work. Build relationships with local repair specialists who operate outside manufacturer restrictions.

Recognize that the ability to fix things is part of the ability to be free. Dependency on others to maintain your possessions is dependency nonetheless.

The farmer who can fix his own equipment is more sovereign than the one who waits for authorized service. The principle applies to all of us.

Frequently Asked Questions