Even when you can get the parts, the costs are all over the place.
One of the things that separated the US from Europe at the founding, was to break the power of the Guilds. Such Guilds in the 18th and 19th centuries had the right to destroy inferior work. Often this would be where the master destroyed the apprentice possible masterpiece, as they liked having the cheap mostly unpaid labor to do all the work, and they only had to put their name on it. Often these Guilds were tied to religious orders to give them legitimacy.
The work around for this was Patent law, which Jefferson called a 'Necessary evil.' The premise behind it was that one would have a short window or monopoly in which to market the idea. Sadly the so called guilds found a way around this by purchasing the patents, then extending further and further out in time the so called monopoly window.
Ironically France and the Confederation Helvetique copied much of the US patent structures. Note how innovative they were until the corporations decided share value and pension plans were more important than taking risks that could cause the company to fail
I can see both sides. On the other hand, why a part for a Landeron 48 cost 15USD$ and the same part for a Valjoux 23/72 cost 110USD$? This pricing is simply weird. I guess this is simply marketing 101, supply and demand.
Personally I think Right to repair and access to tools and materials, should be a fundamental right. Such access encourages curiosity and a way to learn about things. Who else remembers 'Sams Photo facts?' The library had a whole wall of these covering every radio and television, and probably phonograph or tape player, made between say 1927 and 1988 or so. This was all trashed and replaced with desks for computer usage. Then the whole library was trashed because no one likes mid century modern anymore either.
If anything patents and copyrights are too long. Such things need to be shorter so the younger generations have a chance to learn such things while they are still young.
-j
