So-called 鈥渞ight-to-repair鈥� policies undo many of the federal and state laws designed to protect consumers and manufacturers鈥攁nd they could result in 鈥渟teep cost[s] to quality, performance, consumer safety, the environment and the broader U.S. economy,鈥� according to a new 51吃瓜网-commissioned .

What鈥檚 going on: 鈥淭he Economic Downsides of 鈥楻ight-to-Repair,鈥欌�� by Capital Policy Analytics鈥� Ike Brannon and Kerri Seyfert, finds that enacting right-to-repair laws could disrupt supply chains, leave manufacturers open to intellectual property theft, drive up costs for consumers and manufacturers and increase greenhouse emissions in the atmosphere.

• Right-to-repair policies, currently in place in more than 30 states, generally require manufacturers to make all tools, guides and parts required to repair their devices available to everyone, including independent repair outfits.
• A federal right-to-repair law 鈥渨ould ultimately alter how manufacturers operate their businesses, and there is no guarantee that consumers would benefit, as manufacturers would be forced to change the way their products perform,鈥� according to the study.

Why it鈥檚 important: 鈥淭here is a wide range of unintended and potentially harmful consequences that would arise if the most commonly introduced versions of 鈥榬ight-to-repair鈥� go into effect,鈥� Brannon and Seyfert write.

• In addition to making product repair more difficult, such policies could drastically increase compliance costs for manufacturers and drive up prices for consumers.