FTC Reaches Settlement with John Deere on Right-to-Repair for Farm Equipment

The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced a settlement with Deere & Company, the maker of John Deere farm equipment, on Thursday. The regulator sued the company last year, alleging it engaged in unfair practices that limited farmers' ability to repair their own equipment. Those policies forced equipment owners and independent repair providers to pay higher prices for needed services.

Under the settlement terms, Deere must for the next ten years provide farmers and independent repair providers with the same repair resources, including applicable software capabilities, that it currently provides to authorized Deere dealers. The company will also face reporting and oversight requirements, and the initial decade-long agreement could be extended if it violates the terms.

Nathan Proctor, senior director of the US PIRG Right to Repair campaign, issued a statement praising the result. “We should be able to fix our own stuff. This settlement from the FTC gives farmers more and better options to repair their equipment. It is a win for farmers and all of us who want a more fixable world,” he said. Proctor added that their goal from the start was to ensure farmers and independent mechanics get everything they need to fix equipment, and they will continue to monitor the situation.

This settlement marks a significant victory for the right-to-repair movement, which has primarily focused on electronics but now extends to agricultural machinery. With the skyrocketing costs of new technology, the vision of a more fixable world resonates strongly.