Aaron Perzanowski Professor Aaron Perzanowski of the University of Michigan Law School will address the intellectual property implications of the right to repair in a March 9 seminar.

Seminar to address implications of the right to repair

University of Michigan law professor Aaron Perzanowski will address the intellectual property implications of the right to repair in a seminar Thursday, March 9, hosted by the Law and Technology (LTEC) Lab.

In recent years, legislators and regulators in North America, Africa, Australia, Europe, and elsewhere have recognized the obstacles facing consumers who want to repair the devices they buy. The ongoing debate over the right to repair implicates deep concerns about individual autonomy, competition policy, and environmental justice.

At the core of that debate is a set of questions about the appropriate scope and purpose of intellectual property rights. From software locks to patented replacement parts, these questions shape the availability of repair and the legal interventions that could help restore it.

Perzanowski is the author of the 2022 book The Right to Repair: Reclaiming the Things We Own, a historical analysis of how we've arrived at a moment when a battle over repair is being waged in courtrooms, legislatures, and administrative agencies.

Thursday’s seminar runs 1:30 to 3 p.m. in room 239, Joyce Entrepreneurship Centre, with remote attendance and recording options available. Register here.

—Dalia Mazhar

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