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The New Audi A3 Is Amess With In-Car Subscriptions
(www.motor1.com)
This is a most excellent place for technology news and articles.
I guess you've been living under a rock and haven't noticed the persecutions of folks making video game console modchips, John Deere fighting with farmers over who's allowed to repair tractors (including an MOU that the media claims is "kind of" a win for famers, but nevertheless asserts that "modification of Embedded Software" is "illegal infringement" of John Deere's intellectual property [sic]), etc.
Sure, nobody's gone to prison for "jailbreaking" (which is already an absurdity that should never have become necessary in the first place) a car yet, but the DMCA Anti-Circumvention Clause is still the law of the land and unless that changes, it's only a matter of time.
Because automotive industry is so big and wanted to do the same thing like other industrys, this law had to be passed RIGHT TO REPAIR. After this some xompanys like Jaguar, Ford, Peugeot put theyr programs for free online for everyone to use to repair their cars. Other made them payed but it was not a big sum. Now going in to 2015 when subscription stuff was picking up, we onley have Jaguar free. Others not onley made them more expensive but now you have to provide information about who you are and what you work, some even made you pay 15$ for 24h to let you connect to one vin number and just delete faults. But still you could and still can do anything you want to your car, Ive never heard anyone who got in trouble for moding theyr car. Expet when making changes to the odometer or the exhaust system/ eco system but thats another league. There are also standarts that dont let you change any light outside your vehicle but thats about safety. But talking about seat heating, remote start or other comfort functions, unless you want to have a gusrantee from your shop, nobody GIVES A FUCK what you do to your car.