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Louis Rossmann

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American YouTuber, entrepreneur, technician and right to repair activist (born 1988)

Louis Rossmann
Rossmann at DEF CON 30 in 2022
Personal information
BornLouis Anthony Rossmann
(1988-11-19) November 19, 1988 (age 36)
Staten Island, New York, U.S.
Occupations
Websitewww.rossmanngroup.com
YouTube information
Channel
Subscribers2.16 million
Total views542 million
Creator Awards
100,000 subscribers2016
1,000,000 subscribers2019
Last updated: 26 November 2024

Louis Anthony Rossmann (born November 19, 1988) is an American independent electronics technician, YouTuber, and right to repair activist. He is the owner and operator of Rossmann Repair Group in Austin, Texas (formerly New York City), a computer repair shop established in 2007 which specializes in logic board-level repair of MacBooks. He also started the Repair Preservation Group, a non-profit organization advocating for the right to repair.

Rossmann owns a YouTube channel that showcases his repairs as an educational resource, and also frequently live-streams repairs on YouTube and Vimeo. On his YouTube channel, he also uploads videos on life, business practices, real estate, and right to repair. He also owns a channel on Odysee, which mirrors the content on his YouTube channel. Rossmann has actively campaigned for right to repair legislation to be passed in multiple city and state legislatures. In August 2022, Rossmann announced his move to Austin, Texas, to work for tech independence organization FUTO; his repair business followed in 2023.

Campaigns

On October 8, 2018, CBC News ran an investigative piece on Apple's business practices surrounding repair of their devices. They went undercover in an Apple Store with a malfunctioning MacBook Pro looking for a quote on repair. They explained that the screen was simply black, and they could not see anything on it. The Apple Store quoted a customer in their undercover video $1200 for a logic board replacement, explaining that the liquid contact indicators (LCIs) had been triggered, which would only happen if they had been in contact with any type of liquid. They concluded the whole logic board needed to be swapped out, in addition to the top case. When the machine was taken to Rossmann's repair shop, Rossmann explained that there was no liquid damage, and that simple room humidity likely set off the LCIs. He also explained that a pin that connected the MacBook Pro's backlight was simply not seated properly. After seating the pin properly, the MacBook Pro was seen working again. Rossmann explained his repair shop would likely not charge for simply re-seating the backlight pin.

He has also spoken and testified in right to repair hearings in Boston, Maine, Washington state, and Nebraska.

Rossmann has also appeared in right to repair campaigns related to farming machinery in Nebraska in March 2020. He was initially completely against any restrictions by companies on farmers from repairing their equipment (which might have resulted in voiding the equipment's warranty). However, Rossmann later admitted that his opinions were not completely correct due to a lack of expertise in farming machinery; this came after he received mail from a John Deere employee stating how allowing farmers to tune their tractors can result in harm to themselves and possible violation of environmental laws.

Rossmann has criticized the design of the third-generation MacBook Air. He notes that the fan is not positioned above the CPU, nor connected to it via any radiator circuit, calling it a "placebo fan" which can easily lead to overheating and damage.

In March 2021, Rossmann started a crowdfunding campaign on the GoFundMe platform, with the goal of raising $6 million to start a direct ballot initiative protecting consumer right to repair in the state of Massachusetts, citing previous similar successes in the automotive industry. As of August 2024, the campaign has raised over $790,000.

In order to help right to repair efforts, he created the Repair Preservation Group, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. The organization's efforts are mainly concentrated in spreading the word about the right to repair and publishing documentation on an online wiki for repairing devices. Rossmann also directs the Repair Preservation Group Action Fund, which is a 501(c)(4) non-profit that actively lobbies for the passing of right to repair legislations.

In July 2021, Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak endorsed Rossmann's right-to-repair efforts and called for open sourcing in a Cameo video requested by Rossmann. Wozniak spoke about how electronic devices used to come with schematics, allowing anyone with the expertise to repair, if not improve, their devices, and credited this openness for the success of the Apple II.

Notable videos

On October 18, 2018, Rossmann uploaded a video entitled "Apple & Customs STOLE my batteries, that they won't even provide to AASPs." In the video, Rossmann explains that U.S. Customs seized his package containing 20 Apple MacBook batteries, worth US$1,068 (equivalent to $1,296 in 2023), labeling them as counterfeit goods. He claims the sole reason for the seizure was the batteries he was importing bore Apple's trademark and feels it is retribution for the CBC News piece, as Rossmann had been importing MacBook batteries for years without incident until shortly after the CBC story was published.

In 2018, Rossmann testified as a witness in a lawsuit from Apple towards an independent smartphone repair shop owner in Norway, Henrik Huseby, regarding the right to repair and authorized smartphone parts. The Norwegian court originally sided with Huseby but ruled in favor of Apple in 2019 after an appeal hearing showed Huseby had been using counterfeit parts. On June 5, 2019, Rossmann posted a video on YouTube where he appeared as a key witness in the case. In a June 29 video, he explained that the case ended with the court ruling in favor of Apple Inc. as the repair shop in question was using counterfeit parts, a detail Rossmann claims he was not aware of before testifying.

References

  1. Steinberg, Kayla (May 21, 2021). "One Man's Fight for the Right to Repair Broken MacBooks". Columbia News Service. Retrieved November 3, 2023.
  2. ^ "About Louis Rossmann". YouTube.
  3. Rossmann, Louis (November 18, 2018). 30. Archived from the original on April 19, 2023. Retrieved October 16, 2023 – via YouTube.
  4. ^ Rossmann, Louis (June 6, 2019). Louis testifies as witness in Norway trial. Archived from the original on May 25, 2023. Retrieved October 16, 2023 – via YouTube.
  5. "Rossmann Repair Group Inc". Vimeo. Archived from the original on May 1, 2019. Retrieved May 1, 2019.
  6. "@rossmangroup". Odysee. Retrieved April 9, 2022.
  7. "Announcing the Newest Member of FUTO: Louis Rossmann!". YouTube. Retrieved November 1, 2022.
  8. Shprintsen, Alex (October 21, 2018). "'Complete control': Apple accused of overpricing, restricting device repairs". CBC News. Archived from the original on October 23, 2018. Retrieved October 19, 2023. 'Right to repair' movement fights to put fixes back in hands of consumers
  9. Thompson, Troy (October 22, 2018). "Apple Accused of Overcharging for Repairs in New Investigative Report". iDropNews. Archived from the original on October 24, 2018. Retrieved October 24, 2018.
  10. "Boston State House - Right to Repair hearing - FULL HQ VERSION - YouTube". www.youtube.com. Archived from the original on July 24, 2020. Retrieved September 1, 2020.
  11. "Louis Right to Repair testimony in Maine. - YouTube". www.youtube.com. Archived from the original on December 4, 2020. Retrieved September 1, 2020.
  12. "Louis Rossmann Right to Repair testimony in Washington SB 5799 - YouTube". www.youtube.com. Archived from the original on November 2, 2020. Retrieved September 1, 2020.
  13. "Right To Repair Hearing At Nebraska State Legislature(edited, commentary) - YouTube". www.youtube.com. Archived from the original on November 20, 2020. Retrieved September 1, 2020.
  14. "Nebraska farmers are tired of being dicked around - YouTube". www.youtube.com. Archived from the original on November 27, 2020. Retrieved August 25, 2020.
  15. "John Deere employee responds to Right to Repair - YouTube". www.youtube.com. Archived from the original on March 21, 2020. Retrieved August 25, 2020.
  16. "2020 MacBook Air issues: overheating, noisy fan & ineffective cooling". Mac World. May 19, 2020. Archived from the original on May 27, 2020. Retrieved May 26, 2020.
  17. "Does the 2020 MacBook Air have an overheating problem? Debate rages on". Forbes. April 18, 2020. Archived from the original on May 27, 2020. Retrieved June 2, 2020.
  18. "Advocate seeks $6 million to fund 'right to repair' action group". Apple Insider. April 1, 2021. Archived from the original on April 11, 2021. Retrieved April 11, 2021.
  19. "Apple founder Steve Wozniak backs right-to-repair movement". BBC News. July 8, 2021. Retrieved July 8, 2021.
  20. "Apple's new self-service repair program: What it means for you and your Apple devices". www.cnet.com. Archived from the original on January 27, 2022. Retrieved February 25, 2022.
  21. "Repair Preservation Group - Preserving Repair for Everyone, Everywhere". fighttorepair.org. Retrieved June 25, 2022.
  22. "REPAIR PRESERVATION GROUP". causes.benevity.org. Retrieved February 25, 2022.
  23. "Repair Preservation Group". repair.wiki. Retrieved September 14, 2023.
  24. "Lobbying-organizations". cfb.mn.gov. Retrieved September 14, 2023.
  25. Rossmann, Louis. "501(c)(4) FAQ". Repair Preservation Group. Archived from the original on June 7, 2023. Retrieved October 19, 2023.
  26. Wise, Derek (July 7, 2021). "Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak stands up for right-to-repair, argues company built on open source". 9to5Mac. Archived from the original on March 30, 2023. Retrieved October 19, 2023.
  27. Toh, Michelle (July 9, 2021). "Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak: 'It's time to recognize the right to repair' | CNN Business". CNN. Retrieved November 6, 2022.
  28. "Apple founder Steve Wozniak backs right-to-repair movement". BBC News. July 8, 2021. Retrieved November 6, 2022.
  29. Rossmann, Louis (October 18, 2018). Apple & Customs STOLE my batteries, that they won't even provide to AASPs. Archived from the original on May 26, 2023. Retrieved October 16, 2023 – via YouTube.
  30. Vincent, Brittany (October 22, 2018). "Apple repair critic Louis Rossmann takes on U.S. Customs 'counterfeit' battery seizure". Shacknews. Archived from the original on October 24, 2018. Retrieved October 24, 2018.
  31. Ng, Gary (October 18, 2018). "NYC Repair Tech Says Apple, U.S. Customs Seized His Batteries Following CBC Story". iPhone in Canada. Archived from the original on October 24, 2018. Retrieved October 24, 2018.
  32. "DHS Seized Aftermarket Apple Laptop Batteries From Independent Repair Expert Louis Rossman". www.vice.com. October 19, 2018. Archived from the original on November 1, 2020. Retrieved November 1, 2020.
  33. "Apple Is Still Trying to Sue the Owner of an Independent iPhone Repair Shop". www.vice.com. June 6, 2019. Archived from the original on November 8, 2020. Retrieved November 1, 2020.
  34. "Norske Henrik møter Apple i retten for andre gang. – De vil knuse meg". ITavisen. June 7, 2019. Archived from the original on November 8, 2020. Retrieved May 24, 2020.
  35. Rossmann, Louis (June 29, 2019). I was wrong about the Henrik Huseby case. Let's go over the new information. Archived from the original on May 2, 2021. Retrieved October 16, 2023 – via YouTube.

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