The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has accusing it of “unfair” practices that force farmers to pay higher-than-average repair costs. The federal organization, along with the attorneys general of Illinois and Minnesota, allege that the company engages in practices that prevent farmers from repairing equipment they own.
In other words, this is another salvo in the . The complaint alleges that John Deere engages in questionable practices, such as embedding software into farm equipment, to discourage people from trying to fix things on their own. Additionally, the lawsuit points to “decades” of illegal behavior that pushes farmers to turn to the company's network of authorized dealers for repairs.
“Unlawful restrictions on repairs can be devastating for farmers, who depend on affordable and timely repairs to harvest their crops and earn income,” FTC Chair Lina Khan said in a press release. “Today's action by the FTC seeks to ensure that farmers across the United States are free to repair their own equipment or use the repair shops of their choice.”
The lawsuit goes on to allege that Deere makes “the only fully functional software repair tool capable of performing all repairs” on its equipment, which was only available to official dealers. These merchants allegedly charge higher prices than independent stores, giving the company illegal monopoly power. Farmers have long maintained that they can perform basic repairs on equipment, but computers prevent systems from working again until an officially licensed technician does his thing. Supposedly, this is simply flipping a software switch.
The company. He even signed a with the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) in 2023 that was supposed to make its software, tools and documentation available to farmers and independent repair shops. It doesn't appear that that actually happened, as the lawsuit alleges that it “continues to unlawfully withhold a fully functional repair tool from computer owners.”
The lawsuit seeks to “stop Deere's anticompetitive conduct” by demanding access to its software repair tool, in addition to “other repair resources available to authorized dealers.” Nathan Proctor, PIRG Right to Repair Campaign Director, that “We should not tolerate companies blocking repair. “When you buy something, you should be able to do whatever you want with it.”
