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{{InfoboxCompany
'''[https://www.deere.com John Deere]''' is a leading manufacturer of Agricultural, and Heavy Machinery. Founded in 1837, they are primarily known for their heavy-duty agriculture machines, such as tractors and combines. They have recently faced criticism for their business practices, especially in the realm of equipment repair. These practices have raised concerns among farmers, independent repair technicians, and consumer advocacy groups.<ref>FTC sues John Deere over farmers' right to repair tractors : NPR</ref>
| Name = John Deere
| Type = Public
| Founded = 1837
| Industry = Agricultural machinery, Heavy equipment
| Official Website = https://deere.com/
| Logo = John Deere logo.png
}}


== Consumer Protection Profile ==
'''[[wikipedia:John Deere|John Deere]]''' is a leading manufacturer of agricultural and heavy machinery. Founded in 1837, they are primarily known for their heavy-duty agriculture machines, such as tractors and combines. They have recently faced criticism for their business practices, especially in the realm of equipment repair. These practices have raised concerns among farmers, independent repair technicians, and consumer-advocacy groups.<ref name="jdflrtrt">https://www.npr.org/2025/01/15/nx-s1-5260895/john-deere-ftc-lawsuit-right-to-repair-tractors</ref>
[[File:John deere doc.png|thumb|524x524px|Front Page of the FTC's Suit Against John Deere<ref>https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/ftc_gov/pdf/DeereCoREDACTEDComplaintCaseNo325-cv-50017.pdf</ref>]]


==== Repairability ====
==Consumer impact summary==
[[File:John deere doc.png|thumb|524x524px|Front Page of the FTC's Suit Against John Deere<ref name="DCRCCN325">https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/ftc_gov/pdf/DeereCoREDACTEDComplaintCaseNo325-cv-50017.pdf</ref>]]


* John Deere limits access to essential repair software and diagnostic tools.<ref>https://pirg.org/resources/deere-in-the-headlights-3/</ref>
====Repairability====
* Restrictive policies prevent farmers from performing repairs or utilizing independent repair shops, forcing them to rely on authorized dealerships.<ref>https://www.npr.org/2025/01/15/nx-s1-5260895/john-deere-ftc-lawsuit-right-to-repair-tractors</ref>
* Farmers have reported being unable to fix minor mechanical issues without John Deere's proprietary tools.<ref>https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2025/01/ftc-states-sue-deere-company-protect-farmers-unfair-corporate-tactics-high-repair-costs</ref>
* John Deere has allegedly unlawfully inflated repair costs by controlling the repair service market.


==== Monopoly On Repairs ====
*John Deere limits access to essential repair software and diagnostic tools.<ref name="dith3">https://pirg.org/resources/deere-in-the-headlights-3/</ref>
*Restrictive policies prevent farmers from performing repairs or using independent repair shops, forcing them to rely on authorized dealerships.<ref name="jdflrtrt" />
*Farmers have reported being unable to fix minor mechanical issues without John Deere's proprietary tools.<ref name="fssdcp">https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2025/01/ftc-states-sue-deere-company-protect-farmers-unfair-corporate-tactics-high-repair-costs</ref>
*John Deere has allegedly unlawfully inflated repair costs by controlling the repair-service market.


* John Deere's control over the repair market has been likened to monopolistic behavior.
====Monopoly on repairs====
* By restricting, and controlling access to repair resources, and parts, the company has effectively eliminated competition in the repair market.
<ul>
<li> John Deere's control over the repair market has been likened to monopolistic behavior.</li>
<li> By restricting and controlling access to repair resources and parts, the company has effectively eliminated competition in the repair market.<ref>https://www.courthousenews.com/ftc-accuses-john-deere-of-unlawful-equipment-repair-practices/</ref></li>
</ul>


==== Digital Rights and Ownership ====
====Digital rights and ownership====


* John Deere uses software locks, and digital rights management (DRM) systems that control user autonomy.<ref>https://pirg.org/edfund/resources/john-deere-repair-software/</ref>
*John Deere uses software locks and [[digital rights management]] (DRM) systems that control user autonomy.<ref>https://pirg.org/edfund/resources/john-deere-repair-software/</ref>
* These measures prevent Farmers, and Independent repair technicians from completing repairs without access to the proprietary software.<ref>https://pirg.org/resources/deere-in-the-headlights-3/</ref>
*These measures prevent farmers and independent repair technicians from completing repairs without access to the proprietary software.<ref name="dith3" />


==== Right to Repair Legislation Opposition ====
====Opposition to right-to-repair legislation====


* John Deer has actively lobbied against right-to-repair legislation in multiple states, and on the Federal level. <ref>https://pirg.org/resources/john-deere-and-right-to-repair-over-the-years/?utm_source=chatgpt.com</ref><ref>https://wisconsinwatch.org/2024/04/midwest-farmers-right-to-repair-agriculture-john-deere-illinois/?utm_source=chatgpt.com</ref>
*John Deere has actively lobbied against [[Right to repair|right-to-repair]] legislation in multiple states, and on the federal level. <ref>[https://pirg.org/resources/john-deere-and-right-to-repair-over-the-years/?utm_source=chatgpt.com https://pirg.org/resources/john-deere-and-right-to-repair-over-the-years/]</ref><ref>[https://wisconsinwatch.org/2024/04/midwest-farmers-right-to-repair-agriculture-john-deere-illinois/?utm_source=chatgpt.com https://wisconsinwatch.org/2024/04/midwest-farmers-right-to-repair-agriculture-john-deere-illinois/]</ref>
* Despite signing a memorandum of understanding with the American Farm Bureau Federation in 2023, the company has been accused of undermining the spirit of the agreement.<ref>[https://investigatemidwest.org/2024/11/12/is-john-deeres-day-of-reckoning-soon-at-hand/#:~:text=In%20a%20nutshell%3A%20Deere%20embeds%20authorization%20codes%20in,dealers%20have%20access%20to%20all%20the%20verification%20codes. https://investigatemidwest.org/2024/11/12/is-john-deeres-day-of-reckoning-soon-at-hand/#:~:text=In%20a%20nutshell%3A%20Deere%20embeds%20authorization%20codes%20in,dealers%20have%20access%20to%20all%20the%20verification%20codes.]</ref><ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-RgOUT3zeo</ref>
*Despite signing a memorandum of understanding with the American Farm Bureau Federation in 2023, the company has been accused of undermining the spirit of the agreement.<ref>[https://investigatemidwest.org/2024/11/12/is-john-deeres-day-of-reckoning-soon-at-hand/#:~:text=In%20a%20nutshell%3A%20Deere%20embeds%20authorization%20codes%20in,dealers%20have%20access%20to%20all%20the%20verification%20codes. https://investigatemidwest.org/2024/11/12/is-john-deeres-day-of-reckoning-soon-at-hand/#:~:text=In%20a%20nutshell%3A%20Deere%20embeds%20authorization%20codes%20in,dealers%20have%20access%20to%20all%20the%20verification%20codes.]</ref><ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-RgOUT3zeo</ref>


== Consumer Protection Incidents ==
==Incidents==


==== FTC Lawsuit (January 2025) ====
This is a list of all consumer protection incidents this company is involved in. Any incidents not mentioned here can be found in the [[:Category:{{FULLPAGENAME}}|{{PAGENAME}} category]].
On January 15, 2025, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) filed a lawsuit against John Deere, alleging anticompetitive practices in the repair market.<ref>https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2025/01/ftc-states-sue-deere-company-protect-farmers-unfair-corporate-tactics-high-repair-costs</ref><ref>https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/ftc_gov/pdf/DeereCoREDACTEDComplaintCaseNo325-cv-50017.pdf</ref> The lawsuit claims that:


* John Deere unlawfully inflated repair costs by monopolizing the repair service market.
===FTC Lawsuit (January 2025)===
* The company's restrictive policies violated consumer protection laws, and limited farmers' ability to maintain their equipment.
On January 15, 2025, the [[Federal Trade Commission]] (FTC) filed a lawsuit against John Deere, alleging anticompetitive practices in the repair market.<ref name="fssdcp" /><ref name="DCRCCN325" /> The lawsuit claims that:


== References ==
*John Deere unlawfully inflated repair costs by monopolizing the repair-service market.
*The company's restrictive policies violated consumer-protection laws and limited farmers' ability to maintain their equipment.
 
==References==
<references />
<references />
[[Category:John Deere]]

Latest revision as of 19:17, 25 February 2025

John Deere
Basic information
Founded 1837
Type Public
Industry Agricultural machinery, Heavy equipment
Official website https://deere.com/


John Deere is a leading manufacturer of agricultural and heavy machinery. Founded in 1837, they are primarily known for their heavy-duty agriculture machines, such as tractors and combines. They have recently faced criticism for their business practices, especially in the realm of equipment repair. These practices have raised concerns among farmers, independent repair technicians, and consumer-advocacy groups.[1]

Consumer impact summary[edit | edit source]

Front Page of the FTC's Suit Against John Deere[2]

Repairability[edit | edit source]

  • John Deere limits access to essential repair software and diagnostic tools.[3]
  • Restrictive policies prevent farmers from performing repairs or using independent repair shops, forcing them to rely on authorized dealerships.[1]
  • Farmers have reported being unable to fix minor mechanical issues without John Deere's proprietary tools.[4]
  • John Deere has allegedly unlawfully inflated repair costs by controlling the repair-service market.

Monopoly on repairs[edit | edit source]

  • John Deere's control over the repair market has been likened to monopolistic behavior.
  • By restricting and controlling access to repair resources and parts, the company has effectively eliminated competition in the repair market.[5]

Digital rights and ownership[edit | edit source]

  • John Deere uses software locks and digital rights management (DRM) systems that control user autonomy.[6]
  • These measures prevent farmers and independent repair technicians from completing repairs without access to the proprietary software.[3]

Opposition to right-to-repair legislation[edit | edit source]

  • John Deere has actively lobbied against right-to-repair legislation in multiple states, and on the federal level. [7][8]
  • Despite signing a memorandum of understanding with the American Farm Bureau Federation in 2023, the company has been accused of undermining the spirit of the agreement.[9][10]

Incidents[edit | edit source]

This is a list of all consumer protection incidents this company is involved in. Any incidents not mentioned here can be found in the John Deere category.

FTC Lawsuit (January 2025)[edit | edit source]

On January 15, 2025, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) filed a lawsuit against John Deere, alleging anticompetitive practices in the repair market.[4][2] The lawsuit claims that:

  • John Deere unlawfully inflated repair costs by monopolizing the repair-service market.
  • The company's restrictive policies violated consumer-protection laws and limited farmers' ability to maintain their equipment.

References[edit | edit source]