Do You Really Own Your Car? GM, John Deere Say "No" - The Car Connection
In their opinion, consumers simply rent vehicles -- or at least parts of them -- for extended periods of time. Ultimately, those parts remain the property of the manufacturer. It all comes down to software, the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, and the rights that the DMCA affords manufacturers and their goods. General Motors, for example, says that it retains ownership of the software that helps run its vehicles. Folks who own GM cars and trucks can tinker and tune all they like, but they're not allowed to touch the software. They don't own GM's code like they own the tires, steering wheel, or engine. That's put many farmers in a bind, because they can't afford the cost of diagnostic software necessary to repair their expensive, high-tech harvesters. As author Kyle Wiens puts it, " In other words, there may -- may -- be some merit to the argument that mobile phone software shouldn't be touched because the device that uses it is semi-disposable. In that view, users shouldn't be able to tinker with the phone's software because the device is meant to be replaced as next-gen software rolls out. The software underlying them is meant to support their primary function of transporting people and objects from place to place. Source: www.thecarconnection.com
