These stickers are certainly illegal, but you can see them on almost all of the electronics equipment; ranging from Microsoft’s Xbox One to Sony’s PS4. These sort of stickers are used to stop users from modifying or opening the hardware, thus keeping their hardware ingenuity undisclosed.
These stickers are illegal because they are strictly against the FCC’s rules on tying repair services of specific products, and they violate the anti-tying provisions of MMWA as well. This was the sole reason why Apple fixed the issue of failing devices when they were repaired by third party shops and then upgraded to the latest Apple OS.
Companies don’t talk about these sorts of policies because they don’t want to admit that they have been doing things the wrong way for decades. But it is worth noting that there are limits on the user’s end as well. For example, if you completely wreck your phone while trying to open it, the manufacturer can’t be held responsible for your mess. But still, in this case, the obligation is on the manufacturer to demonstrate that your third-party repairs or modifications caused the failure, not the other way around.
Does this give the companies full rights to manipulate you? No! Despite the fact that the modern electronics are tightly integrated, Microsoft or any other manufacturer isn’t allowed to prevent you from opening your hardware.
Then where do they get the audacity to do it? Well, for one thing, they know that you won’t do anything about it. Who would bother to launch a lawsuit for a $500 to $700 mobile or device that may cast him/her a lot more money than the price of the device itself!
In Microsoft’s case, its warranty agreement states that the warranty will cease to apply if the Xbox One is “opened, modified, or tampered with,” and it is essentially absurd and wrong. But until someone bothers to take this matter to court, these electronics’ tycoons will continue to play on the consumer’s ignorance and indifference.
What do you think about this matter? Share your opinions in the comments’ section below.