I am all for freedom to use, modify or
repair MY devices as I see fit but .... beware folks. If the TPP (Trans Pacific Partenership) gets ratified, we will see the floodgates opened to prohibit any work or replacement on all kinds of items we use. Forget flashing ROMS, replacing firmware in routers, performance parts in connected cars. This is not a tin foil hat rant, rather the constant eroding of freedoms in the quest for security and control. It will not be a surprise to see any manufacturers do what Apple is doing in this instance. Most things we use today have some sort of electronics or digital content inside them and they will be subject to TPP regulations.
"The TPP’s anti-circumvention provisions, if adopted, would introduce new barriers to users’ abilities to tinker with their devices and content, even for entirely lawful purposes." EFF.org
Source and links:
Trade Officials Sign the TPP But It's Still Up to Lawmakers to Reject It