The FTC, along with the states of Illinois and Minnesota, has filed a lawsuit against agricultural equipment giant John Deere, alleging that the company has illegally restricted farmers and independent technicians from repairing Deere equipment.
404Media reports that in a significant move to support consumers’ “right to repair,” the FTC and the states of Illinois and Minnesota have sued tractor and agricultural manufacturer John Deere. The lawsuit argues that Deere’s anti-consumer repair practices have led to increased prices for farmers and difficulties in obtaining timely repairs during crucial planting and harvesting seasons. FTC commissioner Lina Khan stated in a formal comment that Deere “has illegally restricted the ability of farmers and independent technicians to repair Deere equipment, including tractors and combines.”
Deere has become notorious for cornering the repair market on its machines by introducing software locks that prevent farmers from fixing the equipment they buy without the company’s authorization. The company has also made repair parts difficult to obtain. Despite a previous promise to make certain repairs easier for consumers through a “Memorandum of Understanding” (MOU) signed with a farming organization, the implementation of this agreement has been uneven, according to farmers.
The FTC lawsuit specifically states that the MOU was designed to stifle right to repair legislation and repair regulation against the company. It also highlights the fact that Deere has released a limited version of its repair software, called “Service Advisor,” to the public at a cost of $3,160 per year. However, this version can only perform certain repairs and is not fully functional compared to the version available to Deere dealers.
Farmers have reported that they remain unable to perform many types of repairs, and it can sometimes take days for “authorized” John Deere or John Deere dealer technicians to fix broken equipment. In farming, such delays can result in lost harvests, crucial delays in planting, and dying crops during critical periods of the farming season.
The lawsuit is the most serious punitive act the federal government has ever taken to break up a repair monopoly and support consumers’ right to repair. The FTC has previously issued reports about repairability and manufacturer dominance of the repair market but has not formally sued any company until now.
Nathan Proctor, consumer rights group PIRG’s senior right to repair campaign director, said, “We shouldn’t tolerate companies blocking repair. When you buy something, you should be able to do whatever you want with it. The FTC’s enforcement action will help farmers, and everyone else who believes people should be able to fix their stuff.”
The steps Deere has taken to secure a repair monopoly are among the most restrictive of any manufacturer in any industry, leading some farmers to resort to hacking their own tractors for the purposes of repair, sometimes using pirated software from other countries. The lawsuit aims to address these issues and ensure that consumers have the right to repair their equipment without undue restrictions from manufacturers like John Deere.
Deere is likely to face more federal problems under the Trump administration. The President vowed to hit Deere with severe tariffs on its equipment if it follows through on its plan to move manufacturing to Mexico.
Read more at 404Media here.
Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship.
