"Companies have every right to limit how products are used by consumers, but most I believe limit these uses to the bare minimum to protect their investments in R&D."
No - they really do not. Ford do not have the right to insist that you only use genuine Ford parts on their car. This was established in the (60s or 70s?) by GM suing aftermarket parts manufacturors and losing, repeatedly.
Meanwhile, electronic device manufacturors have managed to hoodwink the courts into thinking that the little box they have created is technological magic and only they have the right to make use of that magic, and no other company can produce 3rd party additions that make use of the technology the consumer has purchased.
This is clearly analgous to the aftermarket parts for cars - except that the law treats the two cases differently.
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@Aristotles + others
"Companies have every right to limit how products are used by consumers, but most I believe limit these uses to the bare minimum to protect their investments in R&D."
No - they really do not. Ford do not have the right to insist that you only use genuine Ford parts on their car. This was established in the (60s or 70s?) by GM suing aftermarket parts manufacturors and losing, repeatedly.
Meanwhile, electronic device manufacturors have managed to hoodwink the courts into thinking that the little box they have created is technological magic and only they have the right to make use of that magic, and no other company can produce 3rd party additions that make use of the technology the consumer has purchased.
This is clearly analgous to the aftermarket parts for cars - except that the law treats the two cases differently.