Reposted from: https://www.farmanddairy.com/news/ftc-sues-deere-for-blocking-farmers-right-to-repair/857658.html
The Federal Trade Commission has sued Deere & Company, the maker of large tractors and combines, alleging a decades-long effort by the corporation to increase its profits by prohibiting farmers from making their own timely equipment repairs and forcing them to forgo service at independent, less costly repair providers.
In a press release labeling Deere’s practices “anticompetitive conduct,” the federal agency argued that as Deere’s equipment has become more computerized over time, farmers have been forced to rely on its network of authorized dealers who have sole access to an interactive diagnostic software tool needed to complete repairs.
“Illegal repair restrictions can be devastating for farmers, who rely on affordable and timely repairs to harvest their crops and earn their income,” said FTC Chair Lina M. Khan. “The FTC’s action today seeks to ensure that farmers across America are free to repair their own equipment or use repair shops of their choice — lowering costs, preventing ruinous delays and promoting fair competition for independent repair shops.”
Deere does offer a more open-source software program called Customer Service ADVISOR for performing some basic repairs on its equipment, but the FTC said its capabilities fall far short of the program authorized dealers have access to, used exclusively in workshops where they can charge customers more.
The lawsuit follows a 2022 complaint filed by farmers’ unions and “right to repair” advocacy organizations challenging the company’s policy of withholding software and other equipment maintenance information from its customers.
“Today’s lawsuits mark a key victory in this fight for family farmers and ranchers, recognizing that monopolies should not stop farmers from being able to repair their own equipment,” said National Farmers Union President Rob Larew.
“By withholding software information to diagnose and repair equipment, manufacturers are forcing farmers to often face long wait times and sometimes drive hundreds of miles to find an authorized dealer — jeopardizing hundreds of thousands of dollars in potential yields,” said Joe Maxwell, chief strategy officer of advocacy organization Farm Action.
The FTC added that Deere has failed to provide developers with the information they would need to produce a fully functioning software repair tool, as equipment manufacturers in other industries have, such as the automotive and trucking industries. But that progress hasn’t come easy. The lawsuit follows increasing public pressure to give consumers the right to repair their own products and equipment. In December, U.S. Sens. Jeff Merkley, D-OR, Elizabeth Warren, D-MA, and Joshua Hawley, R-MO, sent letters to the heads of major American automakers over their opposition to nationwide efforts to secure car owners’ right to repair the vehicles they own in the way they choose.
