Automakers are supporting provisions in copyright law that could prohibit home mechanics and car enthusiasts from repairing and modifying their own vehicles.
In comments filed with a federal agency that will determine whether tinkering with a car constitutes a copyright violation, OEMs and their main lobbying organization say cars have become too complex and dangerous for consumers and third parties to handle.
Allowing them to continue to fix their cars has become "legally problematic," according to a written statement from the Auto Alliance, the main lobbying arm of automakers.
The dispute arises from a section of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act that no one thought could apply to vehicles when it was signed into law in 1998. But now, in an era where cars are rolling computing platforms, the U.S. Copyright Office is examining whether provisions of the law that protect intellectual property should prohibit people from modifying and tuning their cars.
I also don't see how it would be copyright infringement. It's not like who ever is working on them is selling them as their own.
Shopping for a very specific used vehicle as a preferably cash customer has proven to be an absolutely miserable experience.
Example: An airport dealership has the exact model I'm looking for. It is a 2014 with 15,000 miles. Invoice price on that specific truck, trim level and everything, brand new, was 28,500.
They're asking $32,975. A year old with 15k miles.
Eff me.
margins are highest on used cars.
why not by a new one at invoice?
I've never bought a car in knoxville for that reasonBecause the Ridgeline I want ended production after the 2014 model year. The model will return in 16 or 17 after a heavy redesign, IIRC.
The dealership claimed rarity and scarcity. Honda had a miserable time moving them the final few years of production...so it's not like it's a wildly in demand vehicle.
My main frustration is I will probably end up buying from a place in Indy or Atlanta. The particular model I'm looking for runs about 25-27k any where but here.
