Grainswest Tech 2021

Tech 2021 grainswest.com 25 ensuring we’ve got a robust set of information to a customer when they do make those purchases,” he said. IMPORTED RIGHTS At time of publication, a federal R2R bill had passed second reading in Parliament. Introduced by Liberal MP Bryan May, the bill seeks to amend the federal Copyright Act to allow consumers to diagnose, repair or tinker with their electronics and smart devices. The bill offers very limited circumventions of the original Copyright Act but may pave the way for true R2R bills to be introduced provincially. A 2019 private member’s bill introduced by Liberal MP Michael Coteau targeted R2R for electronic products but was not passed. R2R is much bigger than farm equipment, of course. It includes cellphones, cars, consumer electronics and appliances. The potential effect of R2R legislation on many industries and corporate interests has made it a hotly contested issue among farm advocates and the equipment industry. “In this spring session 2021 in the U.S., R2R bills were introduced in over 40 states, but none of them have passed,” said Schmeiser. “And we don’t anticipate that any of them will pass in the near future. The reason why is when you look at the language that is in these bills that are coming from the R2R advocates in the U.S., their intent in the language is to modify our equipment.” The charge that R2R is a Trojan horse for unsafe modifications is commonly made by industry and disputed by R2R advocates. Diagnostic and repair tools should be available to farmers for the equipment they own, said the Farmers’ Advocate of Alberta Peter Dobbie. “The longer answer is, of course, there are proprietary interests that need to be protected,” he added. “But the bumper sticker on my vehicle, if I had a bumper sticker, would be, ‘Is this in the interest of farmers and ranchers?’ If so, the Farmers’ Advocate Office supports it. The set of real rights for the software licensee need to better match the real rights of the equipment owner. And I think there’s been a decoupling there,” said Dobbie. As part of its broad mandate, the Farmers’ Advocate Office can provide a better picture of R2R issues in Alberta. It is now assessing the implementation of a study, said Dobbie. He views the issue as levels of access, like user authorization on a computer or a master key set up. “I understand that the [equipment manufacturers] don't want to necessarily give away the master key to software that allows people to change it, or wreck it or copy it or steal it. But as a user, or as a licence holder of software on my computer, I ought to be able to self-diagnose or have my local shop diagnose for me a minimum set of activities. That’s where I think the solution lies.” INNOVATION AND THE FREE MARKET Another looming casualty of the rise of proprietary software in farm equipment is interoperability, which is the capacity for third-party, add-on equipment to function as attachments or replacements. This would impact the viability of the short-line equipment industry in Canada, which depends on interoperability to market its equipment add-ons and attachments designed to meet specific farming needs. “This is an imminent threat starting to materialize,” said Carlo Dade, director of the Canada West Foundation’s Trade and Investment Centre. The threat takes the form of John Deere’s new X9 combine, which uses a proprietary interface that will not accept third- party attachments and add-ons. Its introduction, and the trend it represents, threaten the short-line industry. Short-line manufacturing is an important source of rural employment. A 2019 study by Western Economic Diversification Canada identified 529 agricultural implement manufacturers in Canada, with the majority in Western Canada. Most are small businesses. “The short-line equipment manufacturing industry is one of the quiet, unsung champions of manufacturing out West,” said Dade. “We found that niche, and the niche in Western Canada is making equipment that fits specific circumstances “If they’re stuck without choice, farmers will have no one to blame but themselves.” — Carlo Dade