Why don’t companies want you to repair your stuff? - Aaron Perzanowski

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: 麗玲 辛

For centuries, to build any device,

有長達數世紀的時間， 若要打造任何裝置，

artisans had to painstakingly cut every screw, bolt, or nut by hand.

工匠都必須要費心地手工切割 每一個螺絲、螺栓，或螺帽。

But all this changed in the 1790s,

但這一切在 1790 年代改變了，

when British metalworker Henry Maudslay developed this highly precise lathe.

那時，英國金屬工匠亨利‧莫斯利

開發了這種極精密的車床。

Suddenly, these previously handmade components

突然間，這些以前需要 靠手工製造的元件

could be reproduced mechanically, and at scale.

可以用機械的方式大量複製。

This may seem like a simple innovation, but it had a profound effect on the world.

這似乎只是個簡單的創新，

但對世界卻有著深遠的影響。

The standardization of these parts helped usher in the Industrial Revolution.

這些零件的標準化 協助促成了工業革命。

From cars to home appliances,

從汽車到家電，

the 20th century was defined by mass production

二十世紀的特徵是大量生產

and readily available interchangeable parts.

以及隨時可取得、可互換的零件。

This made repairing items relatively easy.

這讓物品的維修變得相對很容易。

If your shower head gasket failed

如果你的蓮蓬頭墊圈損壞了，

or the hose for your washing machine sprang a leak,

或者洗衣機的水管漏水了，

a hardware store likely carried replacements.

五金行大概都會有替換零件。

Today, interchangeable parts are as important as ever for mass production.

現今，對於大量生產而言， 可互換零件更是重要。

However, some companies are working hard to prevent consumers

然而，有些企業很努力想預防消費者

from swapping out components on their own.

自己更換零件。

In many cases, repair can only be done by the original manufacturer, if at all.

在許多情況下，

只有原廠可以做維修， 有些時候甚至連維修都不行。

With limited repair options available,

因為可得的維修選項有限，

we end up buying new and throwing more items out.

我們最後還是得買新的， 丟棄更多物品。

This is especially true for electronics.

電器特別是如此。

In 2022, we discarded about 62 million tons of e-waste,

2022 年，

我們丟棄了大約六千兩百萬 公噸的電子廢棄物，

along with billions of dollars’ worth of precious metals inside of them.

這些廢棄物裡面還含有 價值數十億美金的貴金屬。

So how exactly do companies prevent repair?

所以，企業到底如何預防維修？

Some make it physically more difficult to fix items.

有些企業會增加 維修物品的實體困難度。

They can glue parts in place rather than using screws.

它們可能把零件黏合起來，

而不用螺絲。

Others limit the information they share with consumers,

也有些企業會限制 和消費者分享的資訊，

like blocking public access to product information and schematics.

比如，不讓大眾取得 產品資訊和設計圖。

During the pandemic, for instance,

舉例來說，在疫情期間，

when hospitals struggled to maintain breaking medical equipment,

醫院要維護損壞的 醫療設備是困難重重，

the repair company iFixit compiled a comprehensive database

維修公司 iFixit 匯整了 一個全面性的資料庫，

of repair manuals for hospitals to use.

提供維修手冊供醫院使用。

Yet manufacturers like Steris fought for them to be taken down.

但 Steris 等製造商 卻爭取將這些手冊下架，

Yet perhaps the most important, yet least obvious, way companies limit repair

不過，企業限制維修的方法中， 也許最重要卻最不明顯的，

is by preventing the interchangeability of parts.

就是讓零件沒有可互換性。

In a process known as parts pairings,

在一個叫做「零件配對」的過程中，

companies assign individual parts like screens, batteries, or sensors

企業會分派給每個零件，

如螢幕、電池，或感測器，

a unique serial number.

一個唯一的序號。

The device's internal software can then detect if those components are replaced

裝置內部的軟體就可以偵測出 那些元件是否有被替換掉，

and limit their functionality as a result.

進而限制其功能。

If you swap the screen on two brand new iPhones, for example,

如果你把兩支全新 iPhone 手機的螢幕交換，

the automatic brightness adjustment will no longer work.

自動亮度調整功能就不能用了。

In other cases, unauthorized replacements can cause the device

還有一些例子則是未經授權的更換

可能會讓整台裝置完全不能使用。

to stop functioning altogether.

If a farmer uses an independent shop to repair certain parts

如果農民去找獨立商店

維修 John Deere 曳引機中的某些零件，

in a John Deere tractor,

it won’t operate until a company technician authenticates the new part

要等公司技師用授權的軟體 驗證新零件之後，

using authorized software.

才能啟動運作。

With only a limited number of company technicians available,

因為公司技師的人數有限，

this can easily create a bottleneck,

很容易就會造成瓶頸，

costing farmers precious time and money, and even jeopardizing crops.

讓農民浪費寶貴的時間和金錢，

甚至危害到作物。

Manufacturers can also use software to give devices

製造商也可以用軟體

預先設定裝置的報廢日期，

predetermined end-of-life dates,

after which, they no longer receive important updates,

到期之後，就不會再收到重要更新，

and slowly become unusable.

慢慢就會不能用了。

All this gives manufacturers unprecedented control over the products we buy

以上這些方法讓製造商對我們 購買的產品擁有前所未有的控制權，

and limits the way we repair them.

並限制我們維修它們的方式。

Critics liken these tactics to a form of planned obsolescence,

批評者將這些戰略比喻為 一種計畫性的淘汰，

a manufacturing strategy where a product is deliberately designed to fail,

是製造商的策略，

故意把產品設計成會故障，

to keep both demand and profits high.

以保持高需求和高利潤。

But companies pose two main arguments in defense of these practices.

但企業提出兩個主要論點 來為這些做法辯駁。

First, they claim that giving consumers and third-party repair shops

第一，他們聲稱，如果讓 消費者和第三方維修商店

access to their software could create cybersecurity risks.

能夠取得他們的軟體，

就會造成網路安全方面的風險。

They also argue that they could be liable if a product malfunctions

他們還主張，

如果在第三方或消費者 進行維修之後，

after a third party or consumer repair.

產品故障了，反而變成他們要負責。

A shoddy repair to a medical device, for instance,

比如，對醫療裝置做劣質的維修，

could have deadly consequences, and the manufacturer could be blamed.

後果可能會出人命，

而製造商還可能會被怪罪。

However, major reports, like those from the US Federal Trade Commission

然而，重大報告，

如美國聯邦貿易委員會 以及食品及藥物管理局的報告，

and the Food and Drug Administration find little support for these company claims.

都找不到什麼證據來支持 這些企業聲稱的理由。

Parts pairing and repair limiting practices

現在世界各地的法庭都在

are now being closely scrutinized in courts all over the world,

密切審查零件配對 及維修限制的做法，

as consumers fight for the right to repair.

因為消費者也在爭取維修的權利。

And states, including Colorado and Oregon, have passed laws banning parts pairing.

某些州，如科羅拉多州和奧勒岡州，

都已經通過法律，禁止零件配對。

Community-led movements have also taken root.

民間主導的運動也開始扎根。

Over 2,500 cities across the globe, from Amsterdam to Boise to Bangalore,

全球各地有超過兩千五百個城市，

從阿姆斯特丹， 到博伊西，到班加羅爾，

have established repair cafes.

都設有維修咖啡廳。

Here, people trade and share their knowledge,

大家可以在這些地方做知識交流，

reinvigorating a culture of repair

讓維修文化能重現

at a time when it often feels easier to toss our things than fix them.

在這個把東西丟掉感覺 比把東西修好更容易的時代。