There’s a new chapter in the saga that is John Deere versus owners who want the ability to fix their own tractors. A judge just ruled that the company must face a lawsuit from the Federal Trade Commission and five states over its tractor and agricultural equipment repair monopoly. It means the Illinois-based company is now facing both a class action lawsuit and a federal antitrust lawsuit over the fact it has tried to keep owners from fixing their own machinery.
The lawsuit was filed under former FTC chair Lina Khan in the waning days of Joe Biden’s presidency. Somewhat surprisingly, the Trump administration’s FTC has continued on with the lawsuit, according to 404 Media. That means Right to Repair is one of those special issues that actually has bipartisan support. The company argued that both the federal and state governments didn’t have standing to sue it, arguing that claims of its monopolization of the repair market and unfair labor practices were not sufficient. Here’s the thing, though: an Illinois District Court judge didn’t agree, so now the lawsuit can move forward.
Fight for your right to repair
This judge also just so happens to be the man who is overseeing the class action suit against John Deere. In his ruling, he said the company repeated many of its same arguments that were also not persuasive in that case. Here’s what else he said, according to 404:
“Sequels so rarely beat their originals that even the acclaimed Steve Martin couldn’t do it on three tries. See Cheaper by the Dozen II, Pink Panther II, Father of the Bride II,” Johnston wrote. “Rebooting its earlier production, Deere sought to defy the odds. To be sure, like nearly all sequels, Deere edited the dialogue and cast some new characters, giving cameos to veteran stars like Humphrey’s Executor [a court decision]. But ultimately the plot felt predictable, the script derivative. Deere I received a thumbs-down, and Deere II fares no better. The Court denies the Motion for judgment on the pleadings.”
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“Even if some farmers knew about the restrictions (a fact question), they might not be aware of or appreciate at the purchase time how those restrictions will affect them,” Johnston wrote. “For example: How often will repairs require Deere’s ADVISOR tool? How far will they need to travel to find an Authorized Dealer? How much extra will they need to pay for Deere parts?”
The lawsuit brings up specialized software that John Deere uses to repair equipment. It’s only available to authorized dealers, The Verge reports. That means farmers are forced to “solely rely on more expensive authorized dealers for critical repairs.” You can see why this would be an issue.
This is hardly the first time we’ve told you about John Deere’s right to repair foolishness. In 2021 we told you about a jailbreak code that’ll help you fix your tractor. We also talked about how it lied for years about making its equipment easier to service, a senate bill that could preserve your right to fix your own vehicle and John Deere’s promise to ease up on right-to-repair laws… unless right-to-repair laws are passed. I very much doubt this will be the last time we talk about this story.
