If I were in charge "Planned Obsolescence" in any way shape or form and in every market would be strictly illegal. Any hint of it whatsoever would result in immediate and permanent revocation of the business license and corporate registration of the perpetrator. Businesses would be rewarded for competing to produce "forever" products and backing their claims with iron-clad warranties. I would combine that of course with rules and regulations even stronger than the strongest currently in force (e.g. in the EU?) for end-of-life ownership by manufactures. No manufactured object of any kind, high-tech or not, even baby diapers, should ever end up in a garbage dump. The weird thing about things like computers and cell phones is that for the longest time, and perhaps still, planned obsolescence hasn't really be necessary, at least in any physical design level. Innovation has offered features and benefits at such a rate, and at such low incremental cost, that people are widely willing to upgrade to the latest model. I think the combination of my two rules would allow innovation to be the driving force of economic growth -- but perhaps then innovation would also be the only allowed form of economic growth beyond moving out to new planets and habitats to allow for population growth to also drive economic growth.