- The FTC has secured a settlement in an antitrust lawsuit against farm equipment manufacturer Deere & Company (Deere) now allowing farmers the right to repair their own John Deere tractors and farm equipment.
- The settlement resolves the FTC and five states joint lawsuit against Deere, filed in January 2025, which alleged that Deere used unlawful practices to limit the ability of farmers and independent repair providers to perform repairs on Deere farm equipment. Deere manufactures the only software repair tools capable of performing electronic repairs on Deere equipment. However, Deere has previously made these tools only available to authorized dealers, causing farmers to rely on these dealers for necessary repairs.
- The settlement requires Deere & Company to provide farmers and independent repair providers with the same equipment repair resources that it currently provides to authorized Deere retailers. The term of the order is 10 years and requires Deere to be subject to strict reporting and oversight requirements to ensure compliance.