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John Deere Agrees To 10-Year Right-To-Repair Deal In FTC Antitrust Lawsuit (wired.com) 50

Posted by BeauHD from the big-wins dept.
John Deere has agreed to a 10-year FTC-supervised right-to-repair settlement requiring it to provide farmers and independent repair shops with the same repair resources available to authorized dealers. The deal resolves antitrust claims from the FTC and five states alleging Deere monopolized equipment repair services, contributing to higher costs and delays for farmers. Wired reports: The full statement (PDF) lays out obligations for John Deere's repair services, requiring the company to give farmers and third-party repair shops access to the same equipment and repair resources it provides to official John Deere dealers. This includes software capabilities, such as reading and resetting codes and pairing with other software, which customers have long had limited access to, creating delays when diagnosing equipment problems. Delayed fixes can mean delayed harvests, which many farmers saw as a fundamental threat to their livelihoods.

Under the agreement, John Deere will be required to provide this level of access, equipment, and services for the next 10 years, monitored by the FTC. [...] John Deere has maintained that it already has robust repair resources for its customers, including service manuals and diagnostic equipment. In John Deere's press release, the company says the settlement is in line with what it has been doing all along, saying that "the agreement reinforces Deere's continued innovation toward more flexible repair options, emphasizing increased access and transparency for customers. It formalizes Deere's ongoing commitment to expanding access to diagnostic and repair tools."

John Deere Agrees To 10-Year Right-To-Repair Deal In FTC Antitrust Lawsuit More | Reply

John Deere Agrees To 10-Year Right-To-Repair Deal In FTC Antitrust Lawsuit

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  • We have been doing this all along... (Score:3)

    by silvergig ( 7651900 ) on Wednesday July 08, 2026 @06:02PM (#66228926)
    ...and we will do this for another 10 years. So, are they saying that after 10 more years, they're not going to do it anymore?

    • Re: (Score:3)

      by drnb ( 2434720 )

      ...and we will do this for another 10 years. So, are they saying that after 10 more years, they're not going to do it anymore?

      I think the 10 years only applies to FTC supervision, not the expectation of the right to repair.

      • Re:We have been doing this all along... (Score:5, Insightful)

        by dgatwood ( 11270 ) on Wednesday July 08, 2026 @06:39PM (#66229002) Homepage Journal

        ...and we will do this for another 10 years. So, are they saying that after 10 more years, they're not going to do it anymore?

        I think the 10 years only applies to FTC supervision, not the expectation of the right to repair.

        It's an out-of-court settlement. After ten years, if they lock down repairs again, it's not a breach of the agreement, so the government will have to care enough to file a lawsuit.

        I feel like the real way to solve this problem is to wait for the all-electric Chinese-made tractors to get good enough, then let John Deere shrivel on the vine. They're only able to pull this stuff because there isn't much competition.

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by jhoegl ( 638955 )
          Its our government standard, kicking the can down the road.
        • Farmers should vote with their wallet and start buying other manufacturers, like JCB/Fendt machinery, which already allows the farmer right to repair.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by AmiMoJo ( 196126 )

      It might not matter in 10 years. Peolpe are already importing Chinese tractors because they are simple and easy to maintain, and decent quality. Depending on how protectionist the US remains, in 10 years the market may look very different.

      It seems like there is an obvious business opportunity for a domestic tractor manufacturer here. Anyone care to explain why nobody has moved into this market?

  • Sure they can provide the diags, but you are going to pay John Deere prices for it. You might be granted access but can you afford to use it?

    • “Fair and Reasonable Terms” shall be assessed based on the following factors: (1) the net
      cost (accounting for any discounts, rebates, or other incentive programs) to a Deere
      Dealer, for similar items obtained from Defendant; (2) the cost to Defendant of preparing,
      maintaining, and distributing the item; (3) the price charged by other manufacturers of
      agricultural equipment for similar items; (4) the ability of Owners and IRPs to afford the
      item; (5) the means by which the item is distributed; (6) the extent to which the item is
      used, which includes the number of users, and frequency, duration, and volume of use;
      and (7) inflation.

      • Re:Covered By The Court Order (Score:4, Insightful)

        by drinkypoo ( 153816 ) <drink@hyperlogos.org> on Wednesday July 08, 2026 @08:36PM (#66229150) Homepage Journal

        Yeah it also says this:

        Each of these instructions is subject to your
        reasonable business judgment related to the cost of serving an owner or independent repair provider due to factors other than the foregoing considerations, such as the ownerâ(TM)s or independent repair providerâ(TM)s geographic location, creditworthiness, or compliance with law

        IOW there is plenty of room for Deere and Deere dealers to fuck everyone over and make this end up in court again.
        As long as we keep doing this piecemeal shit we are going to have to keep fighting the same battles over and over again. We need a broad right to repair law applying to EVERYONE FOREVER, not John fucking Deere for ten fucking years.

        • That was my reaction as well, this isn't the farmers saying "we've finally got repair access to our machinery", this is John Deere saying "we've got our flesh-eating zombie layers working day and night to misuse these conditions and make sure those damn hayseeds never get anything useful from us".

    • Re: (Score:3)

      by drnb ( 2434720 )

      Sure they can provide the diags, but you are going to pay John Deere prices for it. You might be granted access but can you afford to use it?

      Getting access to specialized tools and spare parts is a win. And if there is a large enough market for it, then 3rd party tools and parts will become available.

      I have an 15 year old car. The 3rd brake light lens cracks. The entire assembly has to be replaced. I can buy a $200 official factory part or a $50 3rd party part. According to review the 3rd party fits well and works. If the factory over changes, someone else will see a market opportunity.

  • Just a calculated pause! (Score:4, Insightful)

    by oldgraybeard ( 2939809 ) on Wednesday July 08, 2026 @06:15PM (#66228958)
    Until the political situation in Washington DC becomes more pliable($$$) again. Then it is business as usual.

    • Buddy, you better take a good look at who is in office.

    • Re: (Score:1)

      by drnb ( 2434720 )

      Until the political situation in Washington DC becomes more pliable($$$) again. Then it is business as usual.

      Why do you think the Democrats will be agains this? Surely they would not oppose this merely because Trump is a big advocate for the right to repair.

      • Not to mention this process actually started while Biden was in office.

        I wouldn't be surprised if John Deere decided it wanted to settle this while a business-friendly administration and Congress was in place. Sort of how back during the Microsoft anti-trust fights, MS dragged things out until Bush the Younger was in office... then settled.

  • It is something, and it is something NOW -which is important.

    But it gives them free reign to do it again in 10 years..

    • Up to us, the populace to vote for people who would be willing to pass a law about it. This is the extent the FTC can do without that.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by HiThere ( 15173 )

        Sorry, but as an artifact of the plurality wins voting system, only two parties are viable. And neither the Democrats nor the Republicans really want to control business. It's true they are bribed by different groups, but they both depend on bribes to campaign for office.

        • True, we naturally will have 2 parties in our current system but primaries exist (and only get like 20-30% turnout) and one party is way worse than the other. I mean case in point if you like the outcome of this story and want more of it one of them is much more likely to do it.

  • just for 10 years, for whatever John Deere wants to charge you.

  • John Deere has always been shady (Score:4, Interesting)

    by RitchCraft ( 6454710 ) on Wednesday July 08, 2026 @06:22PM (#66228978)

    My grandfather was a farmer right up until he died in 2008 at the age of 90. He swore by Massey Ferguson implements and tractors. Even back in the day he always said John Deere was a company to avoid. Fucking over the people that feed us shows just how fucked up the Deere C-Suite is. Fuck you John Deere ... Fuck You.

  • No one ever mentions them. But Case IH operates exactly the same way that JD does.

    • So does CAT. They are currently in the middle of destroying all of their old products by failing to supply parts for them. CAT field techs are reporting months of lead time for common parts.

  • Does this mean 3rd parties will be able to buy all the computer modules and things for the tractors and load the firmware packages onto them and then install them into the tractors and have everything work?

  • These things are giant agriculture robots that can shred or squish or dis-arm you in a blink.
    The guidance system is complex and (of course) requires accurate and precise calibration,
    interacting with whatever is attached to the bus and mechanicals.
    You can see Deere's potential legal liabilities here.

    There's an assumption that salt-of-the-earth farmers will know what they're doing,
    will follow all documented procedures and not take shortcuts.
    Doubtful. They have other work to do.

    • Has a tractor manufacturer ever been held responsible for an injury caused by one of their tractors?

      I know someone who got his foot cut in half by an auger. Do you think the auger manufacturer paid for that injury? No, of course not.

    • OM NOM NOM BOOTS

      SEE SIG

  • Simple: Thar is long enough that they can pretend it is a huge deal and short enough that no business can depend on this long-term. Hence actually using these resources will remain a side-show as people know they will go away again in 10 years.

    To actually change things, this would have need to be a permanent, dependable requirement.

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