The upside (depending on your perspective) of the modern automobile’s use of computers is that it offers things like traction control, blind spot assist and radar cruise control, not to mention smoother transmissions and engines that don’t knock. The downside, as many of you backyard mechanics know, is that it’s now nearly impossible to work on your own car without an advanced degree in nerdism.
Auto Alliance, an association of 12 of the largest car manufacturers and a congressional lobbying group, now wants to make it illegal for you to work on your own car. Auto Alliance is using a section of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, saying that tinkering with your car constitutes a copyright violation.
Luckily, the Electronic Frontier Foundation has taken control of the reins for enthusiasts, looking for exemptions that would allow access to the inner workings of components.
Automakers are saying that modifying Electronic Control Units could lead to security vulnerabilities or worse, equipment failure. It would also void any warranty protection. The EFF insists the automakers are only interested in profit, and that they want to sell software upgrades for themselves, blocking many tuners out of the business.
Ford has already filed a lawsuit against a New York-based diagnostic equipment manufacturer for trade secrets, and GM says that not limiting access to the ECU and subsequent coding “would offer a serious, and potentially fatal, blow to the future of automotive telematics.”
Check out the rest of the story over at Autoblog, and head to the official comments page at copyright.gov for more information.
