I recently built a coffee table. This was my first foray into woodworking, so the table is far from perfect — with slight asymmetries and an uneven finish. A level would tell me it misses the mark of an IKEA table's engineered flatness. But if you've ever built something with your hands as a hobbyist, you would know my reaction looking at this table in satisfactory triumph — "Who cares?"

Unfortunately, when it comes to trying your hand at repairing your personal property, certain manufacturers do care, and they're getting in the way of consumers and hobbyists who just want to get their own electronics, appliances, and vehicles up and running again. This assault on our property rights and agency is at the core of the national push for legislation that secures the "Right to Repair" our personal property and explains why a half dozen states have already codified such a law.