

Now the car companies have taken notice. They’ve come out in force to insist that you don't really own your car, and that you can only tinker with or even look at the code if you have their permission. Manufacturers were remarkably transparent about their real fears: potential competition from "unauthorized" people making cars more useful through aftermarket add-ons, and more competition in the repair market.


On top of that, of course, the deal regarding repair information doesn't provide the freedom to do research or modification of vehicle software that's needed for aftermarket businesses, hobbyist groups like OpenGarages, and researchers who study the safety and security of automobiles.

The public gets it. We've been flooded with questions from individuals, mechanics, innovators, researchers, and trade associations about how they can help. There are two ways to help right now.

First, if you have knowledge or experiences relating to the proposed exemptions, you can help debunk the manufacturers' arguments by commenting to the Copyright Office. The deadline is this Friday, May 1. Your comments will be especially meaningful if you fall into one or more of these categories:

  • individuals who bought a car and were never given any license telling them they didn't own their copies of the software in it;
  • individuals who have ever had to access their own vehicle software to do a repair or diagnose a problem, or had an independent mechanic send them to the dealer because they didn't have the equipment to do it themselves;
  • mechanics and individuals who can't afford to purchase access to diagnostic and repair hardware, or can't afford to support as many brands as they used to because of these costs;
