Lina Khan’s FTC is suing John Deere to break its monopoly on repair

For many years, John Deere made it difficult for farmers to repair their equipment. The Federal Trade Commission announced today that it will file a lawsuit to try to stop it. The Federal Trade Commission and the attorneys general of Illinois and Minnesota Sue John Deere Due to unfair trade practices related to repair.

According to the complaint, Deere illegally restricted farmers’ ability to repair their farm equipment. Under the scheme, farmers had to return tractors to authorized John Deere dealers for official repairs.

“Unlawful repair restrictions can be devastating to farmers, who depend on affordable and timely repairs to harvest their crops and earn their income,” FTC Chairwoman Lina Khan. He said in a press release About the lawsuit. “Today’s action by the FTC seeks to ensure that farmers across America have the freedom to repair their own equipment or use the repair shops of their choice – lowering costs, preventing devastating delays, and promoting fair competition for independent repair shops.”

Legal action was taken against John Deere Brewing for years. Last fall, the Federal Trade Commission announced it had begun a process Investigate the company On his repair practices. It was He sued several times Farmers have advocated on the issue, long promising that it would make repairing their machines easier. He lied.

The basic outline is as follows: Newer machines made by John Deere have advanced computer systems that break down when any type of work is being done. Even if a farmer performs a basic repair on the tractor, computers prevent the tractor from working again until an officially licensed repairman turns on the software switch.

Farmers have asked for one thing for a long time: access to manuals and tools that allow them to repair their equipment in a timely manner. “Through its limited distribution of its repair tools, Deere has been able to control and limit who can repair its farm equipment, allowing Deere to maintain a 100% market share and charge higher prices, through its network of authorized dealers, for all repairs that require a working tool.” “At full capacity.” The Federal Trade Commission said.

This has raised the cost of repairing essential agricultural equipment, delayed the harvest, and caused an explosion in… Used agricultural equipment The market is where farmers look to buy machinery manufactured before John Deere loads them with computers. The goal of the lawsuit is to force Deere to give farmers access to the same tools used by certified repair shops, thus enabling them to repair their own items.

News of the lawsuit was greeted with universal praise from multiple groups that have been lobbying to force John Deere to make it easier to fix things.

“Everyone, especially skilled people including farmers, should be allowed to fix their own stuff. When farmers don’t have access to the proprietary software tools they need to diagnose or complete repairs, it means they have to wait for a certified technician before they can finish their job.” Weather doesn’t wait for the agent’s schedule, a delay could mean a lost crop. “Not only will it bankrupt farms, it will also raise food prices for everyone,” Nathan Proctor, PIRG’s Right to Repair campaign director, said in a statement.

“We should not tolerate companies that prevent repair. When you buy something, you should be able to do what you want with it,” Proctor added. “The FTC’s enforcement actions will help farmers and everyone who believes people should “Be able to fix their things.”

The FTC’s lawsuit joins a long list of aggressive actions the commission has taken against corporate wrongdoing under Khan. The right to repair has been a major issue in the Biden White House, and through executive orders and FTC lawsuits, D.C. has been able to score several victories for consumers.