Interesting thread on /.

[Kevin Johnson]

http://tech.slashdot.org/story/15/04/03 ... n-your-car

An anonymous reader writes:
The Digital Millennium Copyright Act contains anti-circumvention prohibitions that affect everything from music files to cell phones. The EFF noticed that it could apply to cars as well, so they asked for an exemption to be put in place so car owners would be free to inspect and modify the code running on their vehicles. It turns out U.S. automakers don't agree — they filed opposition comments through trade associations. "They say you shouldn't be allowed to repair your own car because you might not do it right. They say you shouldn't be allowed to modify the code in your car because you might defraud a used car purchaser by changing the mileage. They say no one should be allowed to even look at the code without the manufacturer's permission because letting the public learn how cars work could help malicious hackers, "third-party software developers" (the horror!), and competitors. John Deere even argued that letting people modify car computer systems will result in them pirating music through the on-board entertainment system, which would be one of the more convoluted ways to copy media (and the exemption process doesn't authorize copyright infringement, anyway)."

[Splitter]

Does the vehicle owner also own the software in the vehicle, or is he a licenced user? If he owns it, he should be abled to modify it as he pleases. Regarding the tampering of vehicle mileage, I don't think the mileage of a used vehicle has anything to do with it's condition and hasn't for at least the last decade.

[pdq67]

Years ago, I read a Federal Register Notice article where BMW was asking NHSTA for a waver for BMW forgetting to install headlight alignment screw body plugs. The plugs that hid the headlight alignment screws so we didn't know how to set our own headlights..

In other words, if BMW's headlights got out of alignment you had to take them into the shop and pay, who knows how much, for them to reset your headlights!!

Seems that it might be against the law for us to set our own headlights?????????

I damned near coughed!!

pdq67

[Kevin Johnson]

BMW probably got confused by thinking it would be illegal for a car with a heavily laden trunk to dazzle oncoming traffic.

[Unkl Ian]

Does the vehicle owner also own the software in the vehicle, or is he a licenced user? If he owns it, he should be abled to modify it as he pleases. Regarding the tampering of vehicle mileage, I don't think the mileage of a used vehicle has anything to do with it's condition and hasn't for at least the last decade.

Modifications, might fall under "fair use", in copyright law.