Judge Douglas Woodlock of the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts issued a notice on April 15 of another delay to provide a decision on the Right to Repair court case in Massachusetts.
Citing “the resurgence of a demanding criminal trial schedule, resumption of long delayed in-court non-trial proceedings coupled with insistent writing responsibilities in other matters,” Woodlock extended the date to resolve the matter and invited the defendant (the commonwealth of Massachusetts) to “make a further modified stipulation to adjust the relevant date necessary for an appropriate period of consideration in support of a fully satisfactory opinion until no later than July 2, 2022, to bring this case to an appealable final judgement.”
The judge previously stated that he would issue a final judgment no later than April 15, 2022.
Approved by Massachusetts voters on Nov. 3, 2020, by an overwhelming 75% to 25% margin, the new Right to Repair law would require manufacturers to provide vehicle owners both access and control of the diagnostic and repair data generated by their vehicles.
Subsequent to the vote, the Alliance for Automotive Innovation filed a lawsuit (Alliance for Automotive Innovation vs. Maura Healey, Attorney General of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts) in November 2020 asking the court to overturn the data-access ballot question based on a host of allegations including cybersecurity concerns, insufficient time to comply with the new data-access requirements and their contention that the ballot initiative is preempted by federal law.
The Auto Care Association says it continues to fight for consumers’ right to choose where they get their vehicle maintained and repaired through both state and federal legislation.
